CVE-2026-5545: wrong reuse of HTTP Negotiate connection
libcurl might in some circumstances reuse the wrong connection when asked to do an authenticated HTTP(S) request after a Negotiate-authenticated one, when both use the same host. libcurl features a pool of recent connections so that subsequent requests can reuse an existing connection to avoid overhead. When reusing a connection a range of criteria must be met. Due to a logical error in the code, a request that was issued by an application could wrongfully reuse an existing connection to the same server that was authenticated using different credentials. An application that first uses Negotiate authentication to a server with `user1:password1` and then does another operation to the same server asking for any authentication method but for `user2:password2` (while the previous connection is still alive) - the second request gets confused and wrongly reuses the same connection and sends the new request over that connection thinking it uses a mix of user1's and user2's credentials when it is in fact still using the connection authenticated for user1...
Affected Software
Remediation
Patch Available
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-5545?
CVE-2026-5545 has a medium severity rating due to potential unauthorized access risks.
How do I fix CVE-2026-5545?
To fix CVE-2026-5545, upgrade to the latest version of libcurl that addresses this vulnerability.
What software is affected by CVE-2026-5545?
CVE-2026-5545 affects certain versions of curl and libcurl between 7.10.6 and 8.20.0.
What is the impact of CVE-2026-5545?
The impact of CVE-2026-5545 can lead to inadvertent reuse of connections, possibly resulting in authentication errors.
How can I determine if I am using a vulnerable version regarding CVE-2026-5545?
To determine if you are using a vulnerable version for CVE-2026-5545, check your libcurl version against the specified affected version range.