CVE-2023-49569

Workarounds

In cases where a bump to the latest version of go-git is not possible in a timely manner, we recommend limiting its use to only trust-worthy Git servers.

Credit

Thanks to Ionut Lalu for responsibly disclosing this vulnerability to us.

A path traversal vulnerability was discovered in go-git versions prior to v5.11. This vulnerability allows an attacker to create and amend files across the filesystem. In the worse case scenario, remote code execution could be achieved.

Applications are only affected if they are using the ChrootOS, which is the default when using "Plain" versions of Open and Clone funcs (e.g. PlainClone). Applications using BoundOS or in-memory filesystems are not affected by this issue.
This is a go-git implementation issue and does not affect the upstream git cli.

Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.

CVE-2023-49569 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (5.11.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Users running versions of go-git from v4 and above are recommended to upgrade to v5.11 in order to mitigate this vulnerability.

1. What is CVE-2023-49569? CVE-2023-49569 is a critical-severity path traversal vulnerability in github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 (go), affecting versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.11.0. It is fixed in 5.11.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-49569? CVE-2023-49569 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-49569?
   • github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 (go) (versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.11.0)
   • gopkg.in/src-d/go-git.v4 (go) (versions >= 4.0.0, <= 4.13.1)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-49569? Yes. CVE-2023-49569 is fixed in 5.11.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-49569 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-49569 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2023-49569 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2023-49569? Upgrade github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 to 5.11.0 or later.