Highly exploitable, CVE-2026-61642 poses a critical security risk that could lead to severe breaches.
Status: Received on 13 Oct 2026, 17:17 UTC
Published on: 13 Oct 2026, 17:17 UTC
CVSS Release: version 3
security-advisories@github.com
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVE-2026-61642: Squid is a caching proxy for the Web. From 3.3.0.1 to before 7.6, due to an improper enforcement of behavioral workflow bug, Squid is vulnerable to a Request Smuggling attack against HTTP/1.1 Transfer-Encoding. HTTP header parsing (`src/HttpHeader.cc`) accepted the bare` Transfer-Encoding:` identity form, which the HTTP specification prohibits because any transfer coding must be wrapped within chunked encoding. This problem allows a trusted client to perform an HTTP Request Smuggling attack when HTTP/1.1 is used, bypassing security mechanisms that may be in place between attacker and Squid. When there is an HTTP cache operating prior to the affected Squid, this Request Smuggling attack also allows the attacker to poison that web cache and store arbitrary malicious content at any URL for delivery to other clients' future requests. This issue is fixed in version 7.6.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-61642 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2026-61642 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-61642, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-61642, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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