GitHub Advisoryadvisory · PyPI
GHSA-wfm5-v35h-vwf4 GitPython untrusted search path on Windows systems leading to arbitrary code execution
HIGH
Official page ↗
- Aliases
- CVE-2023-40590
- Ecosystem
- PyPI
- Packages
- GitPython
- Severity
- High
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weaknesses
- CWE-426
- Reviewed
- 2023-08-29
Affected packages
• PyPI GitPython: < 3.1.33 → fixed in 3.1.33
Description
Summary
When resolving a program, Python/Windows look for the current working directory, and after that the PATH environment (see big warning in https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html#popen-constructor). GitPython defaults to use the `git` command, if a user runs GitPython from a repo has a `git.exe` or `git` executable, that program will be run instead of the one in the user's `PATH`.
Details
This is more of a problem on how Python interacts with Windows systems, Linux and any other OS aren't affected by this. But probably people using GitPython usually run it from the CWD of a repo.
The execution of the `git` command happens in
https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/blob/1c8310d7cae144f74a671cbe17e51f63a830adbf/git/cmd.py#L277
https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/blob/1c8310d7cae144f74a671cbe17e51f63a830adbf/git/cmd.py#L983-L996
And there are other commands executed that should probably be aware of this problem.
PoC
On a Windows system, create a `git.exe` or `git` executable in any directory, and import or run GitPython from that directory
```
python -c "import git"
```
The git executable from the current directory will be run.
Impact
An attacker can trick a user to download a repository with a malicious `git` executable, if the user runs/imports GitPython from that directory, it allows the attacker to run any arbitrary commands.
Possible solutions
• Default to an absolute path for the git program on Windows, like `C:\\Program Files\\Git\\cmd\\git.EXE` (default git path installation).
• Require users to set the `GIT_PYTHON_GIT_EXECUTABLE` environment variable on Windows systems.
• Make this problem prominent in the documentation and advise users to never run GitPython from an untrusted repo, or set the `GIT_PYTHON_GIT_EXECUTABLE` env var to an absolute path.
• Resolve the executable manually by only looking into the `PATH` environment variable (suggested by @Byron)
---
> [!NOTE]
> This vulnerability was reported via email, and it was decided to publish it here and make it public, so the community is aware of it, and a fix can be provided.
Related
Alias · CVE (1)
- CVE-2023-40590 GitPython is a python library used to interact with Git repositories. vulnerability
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-426 Untrusted Search Path weakness
References
- https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/security/advisories/GHSA-wfm5-v35h-vwf4 web
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40590 advisory
- https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/issues/1635 web
- https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/pull/1636 web
- https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/commit/8b75434e2c8a082cdeb4971cc6f0ee2bafec45bc web
- https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html#popen-constructor web
- https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython package
- https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/releases/tag/3.1.33 web
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/gitpython/PYSEC-2023-161.yaml web