CVE-2023-25815: 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 m...

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:\`.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

2.2/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.05%

60.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Git For Windows Project	Git For Windows	< 2.40.1
Fedoraproject	Fedora	37
Fedoraproject	Fedora	38

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/04/25/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://axcheron.github.io/exploit-101-format-strings/#writing-to-the-stackProduct
https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/tag/v2.40.1.windows.1Release Notes
https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/security/advisories/GHSA-9w66-8mq8-5vm8Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/msys2/MINGW-packages/pull/10461Issue Tracking, Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00018.html
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PI7FZ4NNR5S5J5K6AMVQBH2JFP6NE4L7/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RKOXOAZ42HLXHXTW6JZI4L5DAIYDTYCU/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YFZWGQKB6MM5MNF2DLFTD7KS2KWPICKL/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/printf.htmlProduct
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-15
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/04/25/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://axcheron.github.io/exploit-101-format-strings/#writing-to-the-stackProduct
https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/tag/v2.40.1.windows.1Release Notes
https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/security/advisories/GHSA-9w66-8mq8-5vm8Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/msys2/MINGW-packages/pull/10461Issue Tracking, Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00018.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/09/msg00009.html
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PI7FZ4NNR5S5J5K6AMVQBH2JFP6NE4L7/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RKOXOAZ42HLXHXTW6JZI4L5DAIYDTYCU/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YFZWGQKB6MM5MNF2DLFTD7KS2KWPICKL/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/printf.htmlProduct
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-15

Timeline

Published: Apr 25, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-25815?

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:\`.

How severe is CVE-2023-25815?

CVE-2023-25815 has a CVSS score of 2.2/10 (LOW severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.05% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-25815?

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.

How Strix Helps

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