CVE-2022-23521: Git is distributed revision control system. gitattributes are a mechanism to allow defining attributes for paths. These attributes can be defined by a...

Description

Git is distributed revision control system. gitattributes are a mechanism to allow defining attributes for paths. These attributes can be defined by adding a `.gitattributes` file to the repository, which contains a set of file patterns and the attributes that should be set for paths matching this pattern. When parsing gitattributes, multiple integer overflows can occur when there is a huge number of path patterns, a huge number of attributes for a single pattern, or when the declared attribute names are huge. These overflows can be triggered via a crafted `.gitattributes` file that may be part of the commit history. Git silently splits lines longer than 2KB when parsing gitattributes from a file, but not when parsing them from the index. Consequentially, the failure mode depends on whether the file exists in the working tree, the index or both. This integer overflow can result in arbitrary heap reads and writes, which may result in remote code execution. The problem has been patched in the versions published on 2023-01-17, going back to v2.30.7. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

56.33%

98.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-190

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Git-Scm	Git	<= 2.30.6
Git-Scm	Git	>= 2.31.0, <= 2.31.5
Git-Scm	Git	>= 2.32.0, <= 2.32.4
Git-Scm	Git	>= 2.33.0, <= 2.33.5
Git-Scm	Git	>= 2.34.0, <= 2.34.5
Git-Scm	Git	>= 2.35.0, <= 2.35.5
Git-Scm	Git	>= 2.36.0, <= 2.36.3
Git-Scm	Git	>= 2.37.0, <= 2.37.4
Git-Scm	Git	>= 2.38.0, <= 2.38.2
Git-Scm	Git	2.39.0

References

https://github.com/git/git/commit/508386c6c5857b4faa2c3e491f422c98cc69ae76Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/git/git/security/advisories/GHSA-c738-c5qq-xg89Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-15
https://github.com/git/git/commit/508386c6c5857b4faa2c3e491f422c98cc69ae76Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/git/git/security/advisories/GHSA-c738-c5qq-xg89Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-15

Timeline

Published: Jan 17, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-23521?

Git is distributed revision control system. gitattributes are a mechanism to allow defining attributes for paths. These attributes can be defined by adding a `.gitattributes` file to the repository, which contains a set of file patterns and the attributes that should be set for paths matching this pattern. When parsing gitattributes, multiple integer overflows can occur when there is a huge number of path patterns, a huge number of attributes for a single pattern, or when the declared attribute names are huge. These overflows can be triggered via a crafted `.gitattributes` file that may be part of the commit history. Git silently splits lines longer than 2KB when parsing gitattributes from a file, but not when parsing them from the index. Consequentially, the failure mode depends on whether the file exists in the working tree, the index or both. This integer overflow can result in arbitrary heap reads and writes, which may result in remote code execution. The problem has been patched in the versions published on 2023-01-17, going back to v2.30.7. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

How severe is CVE-2022-23521?

CVE-2022-23521 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 56.33% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-23521?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.