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Review reviewHigh

CVE-2026-9546

curl

A vulnerability in libcurl caused the HTTP `Referer:` header to persist even when explicitly cleared. While the documentation states that passing NULL to `CURLOPT_REFERER` suppresses the header, the option failed to clear the internal state. As a result the previous referrer string was erroneously reused and sent in subsequent requests, potentially leaking sensitive information to unintended servers.

CVSS
7.5
EPSS
0.65%
47.1% percentile
CISA KEV
Not listed
Published
2026.07.03
PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Review review

The CVSS severity warrants an early asset and exposure review.

Known exploitationNot established by KEV
Exploit probability0.65%
Technical severityCVSS 7.5

Vulnerability overview

A vulnerability in libcurl caused the HTTP `Referer:` header to persist even when explicitly cleared. While the documentation states that passing NULL to `CURLOPT_REFERER` suppresses the header, the option failed to clear the internal state. As a result the previous referrer string was erroneously reused and sent in subsequent requests, potentially leaking sensitive information to unintended servers.

Affected product and versions

Product
curl
Affected versions
8.20.0, 8.19.0, 8.18.0, >= 8.18.0 < 8.21.0
Fixed versions
8.21.0

Recommended response sequence

Confirm exposure before applying a vendor-supported change.

Full remediation guide
  1. 1
    Identify

    Confirm that curl and an affected version are present.

  2. 2
    Prioritize

    Combine exploitation signals with asset exposure and business criticality.

  3. 3
    Remediate

    Follow the vendor advisory or supported update path and preserve rollback options.

  4. 4
    Verify

    Recheck the version, service health, access paths, and relevant logs.

Technical data

CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CWE
Not available
CVE-2026-9546 — curl | SECUFOCUS NOW