GitHub Advisoryadvisory · PyPI
GHSA-qp9x-wp8f-qgjj tuf has platform-dependent delegation path matching
MEDIUM
Official page ↗
- Ecosystem
- PyPI
- Packages
- tuf
- Severity
- Moderate
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
- Weaknesses
- CWE-178
- Reviewed
- 2026-05-28
Affected packages
• PyPI tuf: < 7.0.0 → fixed in 7.0.0
Description
`DelegatedRole._is_target_in_pathpattern` uses `fnmatch.fnmatch` to decide whether a given target path is authorized by a delegation's glob pattern.
Python's `fnmatch.fnmatch` calls `os.path.normcase()` on both arguments before matching. On POSIX hosts `normcase` is the identity function; on Windows hosts `os.path` resolves to `ntpath`, whose `normcase` lowercases its input and replaces `/` with `\`.
As a result, python-tuf's delegation *path pattern* matching is case-sensitive on Linux/macOS but case-INSENSITIVE on Windows. This makes the authorization decision for a target dependent on the host operating system of the client running the updater.
The result on Windows is a TUF specification violation in the python-tuf `ngclient` implementation.
Vulnerable code
`tuf/api/_payload.py` (HEAD `7ecb67d`):
```python
1183 @staticmethod
1184 def _is_target_in_pathpattern(targetpath: str, pathpattern: str) -> bool:
1185 """Determine whether ``targetpath`` matches the ``pathpattern``."""
1186 # We need to make sure that targetpath and pathpattern are pointing to
1187 # the same directory as fnmatch doesn't threat "/" as a special symbol.
1188 target_parts = targetpath.split("/")
1189 pattern_parts = pathpattern.split("/")
1190 if len(target_parts) != len(pattern_parts):
1191 return False
1192
1193 # Every part in the pathpattern could include a glob pattern, that's why
1194 # each of the target and pathpattern parts should match.
1195 for target, pattern in zip(target_parts, pattern_parts, strict=True):
1196 if not fnmatch.fnmatch(target, pattern):
1197 return False
1198 return True
```
`fnmatch.fnmatch` source (Python 3.12, unchanged in current mainline):
```python
def fnmatch(name, pat):
...
name = os.path.normcase(name)
pat = os.path.normcase(pat)
return fnmatchcase(name, pat)
```
Fix
Replace `fnmatch.fnmatch` with `fnmatch.fnmatchcase`, which is explicitly documented as "not applying case normalization", so it behaves identically across platforms.
Attack
1. A TUF repository with two path-based delegations whose patterns differ only in case — for example, `Foo/*` and `foo/*`.
2. The "attacker" delegation is listed BEFORE the "legit" delegation in the delegation order.
3. The client searches for `foo/something`: on Windows, it will find the "attacker" provided target "Foo/something".
Exploitability caveats
• The attack needs a repository configuration with case-colliding delegation path patterns. The attacker must control one of the delegated roles.
• Delegation ordering matters: the attacker-controlled role must be visited BEFORE the legit role in the pre-order walk.
• The client must run on Windows. No effect on Linux/macOS.
Credit
Reporter: Koda Reef @kodareef5
Advisory edits: Jussi Kukkonen @jku
Related
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-178 Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity weakness