Malicious HTTP/2 servers can crash curl during uploads (CVE-2026-92392)
On 2026-10-14 the curl project published CVE-2026-92392 as High: during an HTTP/2 upload, mishandling RST_STREAM with reason HTTP_1_1_REQUIRED or REFUSED_STREAM can use-after-free a struct Curl_easy. The advisory says the UAF has been proven convertible to remote code execution only when many exact criteria line up (curl object layout, architecture, libc heap, nghttp2 and OpenSSL/TLS 1.3 behavior, pinned CA geometry, two parallel transfers, short-command constraint). Affects curl and libcurl 8.12.0 through 8.22.0. Fixed in 8.23.0 (also advisory branch floors 8.14.3, 8.16.2, 8.20.2). Not listed on CISA KEV catalog version 2026.10.13 and no known-in-the-wild mark on the Guard feed at publish time. Oct 14 also shipped 20 Low curl advisories on the same 8.23.0 upgrade train.
Also tracked as CVE-2026-92392 · curl HTTP/2 upload Use-After-Free · libcurl RST_STREAM UAF
- First observed
- Oct 14, 2026
- Last observed
- Oct 14, 2026
- Last reviewed
- Oct 14, 2026
- Tracking ended
- Oct 14, 2026
Record exports
Uncertainty and limitations
Read the evidence limits before acting on this record.
Guard evidence pack still showed Unknown severity / analysis pending at blog publish. Branch tarballs 8.20.2 were not found on curl.se downloads at check time; branch floors are from the advisory text. RCE requires attacker-controlled HTTP/2 upload target plus narrow lab conditions, so blast radius for casual internet worming is limited.
- Not an internet worm: the attacker must be the HTTP/2 server you are uploading to.
- curl below 8.12.0 and builds without HTTP2 are out of scope.
- Not listed on CISA KEV catalog 2026.10.13 at newsroom publish time.
Guard coverage and policy
What Guard's reviewed assertions do and do not claim for this campaign, and the reviewed starting points for defense.
Covered by Guard
provides evidence
Evidence pack maps the CVE; it does not claim runtime interception of curl uploads on every host.
No campaign-specific policy guidance is published.
Safe next step. Campaign guidance is defensive context. It does not auto-apply policy or claim universal campaign coverage.
Timeline
Reviewed events, oldest first, each tied to a verified source.
- First observed
Issue reported to the curl project (advisory timeline).
- Disclosure
curl 8.23.0 released coordinated with CVE-2026-92392 High advisory (HTTP/2 upload UAF).
- Update
HOL Guard published the operator blog write-up.
Publication clock: 0.5 hours from reviewed disclosure timestamp to HOL publication; 24-hour high target; within target.
Reviewed artifacts
The specific artifacts this record concerns, as reviewed. Names and versions are shown as text; a registry link is not recorded here.
curl@>=8.12.0 <=8.22.0genericpackagelibcurl@>=8.12.0 <=8.22.0genericpackage
Sources
Every claim on this record is traceable to the sources below.
- curl security advisory CVE-2026-92392maintainer advisory · observed October 14, 2026
- curl CVE-2026-92392 OSV JSONmaintainer advisory · observed October 14, 2026
- curl published vulnerabilities indexmaintainer advisory · observed October 14, 2026
- curl fix commit 8b0744af5b1b631da5b938ca31c3f9895ad5a321other primary · observed October 14, 2026
- HOL Guard operator write-upother primary · observed October 14, 2026
- HOL Guard CVE evidence packother primary · observed October 14, 2026
Reviewed in full by HOL Guard Security Publishing.
- Published
- Last full review
- Last modified
Record HGTC-2026-9CBC0FA1