GitHub Advisoryadvisory · Go
GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm go-git: Worktree operations may follow symlinks
HIGH
Official page ↗
- Aliases
- CVE-2026-71556
- Ecosystem
- Go
- Packages
- github.com/go-git/go-git/v5, github.com/go-git/go-git/v6
- Severity
- High
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
- Weaknesses
- CWE-59
- Reviewed
- 2026-08-07
Affected packages
• Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v5: < 5.19.2 → fixed in 5.19.2
• Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v6: < 6.0.0-alpha.5 → fixed in 6.0.0-alpha.5
Description
Impact
A symlink traversal issue in `go-git` could allow worktree operations to modify files outside the intended worktree path.
The `worktreeFilesystem` wrapper rejected dangerous path strings, including paths containing `.git`, parent-directory components, or control characters. However, it did not prevent filesystem operations from following symbolic links that were already present in the worktree.
As a result, a path that is safe when evaluated as a string could still resolve into the repository's Git metadata directory. For example, if `s` is a symbolic link to `.git`, writing to `s/config` would modify `.git/config`.
A symbolic link at the final path component could also be followed. For example, if `s` points directly to `.git/config`, opening `s` for writing with truncation could overwrite the repository configuration.
Exploitation requires an attacker to be able to introduce or control a symbolic link in the worktree and cause the application to perform a write through that path.
Applications using `storage/memory` for their Storer, or `go-billy/memfs` for their `Worktree`, are not affected by this vulnerability.
Patches
The issue has been addressed by making the worktree filesystem wrapper a symlink-safe boundary.
Worktree operations now reject paths where an existing symbolic link in any path component could cause the operation to escape the intended worktree location, including symbolic links at the final component.
Users of filesystem-backed worktrees should upgrade to a patched version.
Credits
Thanks to @kodareef5 for reporting this issue and working with the go-git security team toward its resolution. :1st_place_medal:
We would also like to thank @HughLewis20, who independently reported the same issue while a fix was already in progress.
Related
Alias · CVE (1)
- CVE-2026-71556 go-git is an extensible git implementation library written in pure Go. vulnerability
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access weakness
References
- https://github.com/go-git/go-git/security/advisories/GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm web
- https://github.com/go-git/go-git/commit/008a78f2dd86f52544ddff8b8e8ddeecdf3f7aab web
- https://github.com/go-git/go-git/commit/661d1c7f101d34e002a3cfcf8dbea5b7421d07ac web
- https://github.com/go-git/go-git package
- https://github.com/go-git/go-git/releases/tag/v5.19.2 web
- https://github.com/go-git/go-git/releases/tag/v6.0.0-alpha.5 web