CVE-2023-25815 | BDVDB-2026-200982 Detail
git-for-windowsgit
Description#
In Git for Windows, the Windows port of Git, no localized messages are shipped with the installer. As a consequence, Git is expected not to localize messages at all, and skips the gettext initialization. However, due to a change in MINGW-packages, the `gettext()` function's implicit initialization no longer uses the runtime prefix but uses the hard-coded path `C:\mingw64\share\locale` to look for localized messages. And since any authenticated user has the permission to create folders in `C:\` (and since `C:\mingw64` does not typically exist), it is possible for low-privilege users to place fake messages in that location where `git.exe` will pick them up in version 2.40.1. This vulnerability is relatively hard to exploit and requires social engineering. For example, a legitimate message at the end of a clone could be maliciously modified to ask the user to direct their web browser to a malicious website, and the user might think that the message comes from Git and is legitimate. It does require local write access by the attacker, though, which makes this attack vector less likely. Version 2.40.1 contains a patch for this issue. Some workarounds are available. Do not work on a Windows machine with shared accounts, or alternatively create a `C:\mingw64` folder and leave it empty. Users who have administrative rights may remove the permission to create folders in `C:\`.
Impact#
Per CVSS v3.1: confidentiality impact none, integrity impact low, availability impact low. Attack vector: local.
Weaknesses#
References#
- https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/security/advisories/GHSA-9w66-8mq8-5vm8
- https://github.com/msys2/MINGW-packages/pull/10461
- https://axcheron.github.io/exploit-101-format-strings/#writing-to-the-stack
- https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/tag/v2.40.1.windows.1
- https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/printf.html
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/04/25/2
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PI7FZ4NNR5S5J5K6AMVQBH2JFP6NE4L7/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YFZWGQKB6MM5MNF2DLFTD7KS2KWPICKL/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RKOXOAZ42HLXHXTW6JZI4L5DAIYDTYCU/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-15
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00018.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/09/msg00009.html
Exploit#
No public exploit known
History#
- Version 1Record published in the CVE List.
- Version 2Most recent update recorded in the CVE List.