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CVE-2023-22490


Git is a revision control system. Using a specially-crafted repository, Git prior to versions 2.39.2, 2.38.4, 2.37.6, 2.36.5, 2.35.7, 2.34.7, 2.33.7, 2.32.6, 2.31.7, and 2.30.8 can be tricked into using its local clone optimization even when using a non-local transport. Though Git will abort local clones whose source `$GIT_DIR/objects` directory contains symbolic links, the `objects` directory itself may still be a symbolic link. These two may be combined to include arbitrary files based on known paths on the victim's filesystem within the malicious repository's working copy, allowing for data exfiltration in a similar manner as CVE-2022-39253. A fix has been prepared and will appear in v2.39.2 v2.38.4 v2.37.6 v2.36.5 v2.35.7 v2.34.7 v2.33.7 v2.32.6, v2.31.7 and v2.30.8. If upgrading is impractical, two short-term workarounds are available. Avoid cloning repositories from untrusted sources with `--recurse-submodules`. Instead, consider cloning repositories without recursively cloning their submodules, and instead run `git submodule update` at each layer. Before doing so, inspect each new `.gitmodules` file to ensure that it does not contain suspicious module URLs.


Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5, requiring local system access to exploit with relatively low complexity though user interaction is required and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from git-scm organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Reported in 2023, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.


Published

2023-02-14T20:15:16.683

Last Modified

2024-11-21T07:44:54.803

Status

Modified

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

Weaknesses
  • Type: Secondary
    CWE-59
  • Type: Primary
    CWE-59

Affected Vendors & Products
Type Vendor Product Version/Range Vulnerable?
Application git-scm git < 2.30.8 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.31.7 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.32.6 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.33.7 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.34.7 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.35.7 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.36.5 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.37.6 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.38.4 Yes
Application git-scm git < 2.39.2 Yes

References

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For git-scm's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.