CVE-2022-42968Network attack vector

Git command manipulation via unsanitized refs

Published Oct 16, 2022 · Updated May 14, 2025

Argument injection in Gitea before 1.17.3 allows remote attackers to pass unintended options to backend Git commands through crafted refs. Git command builders passed user-controlled revisions and branches through AddArguments, so leading hyphens were interpreted as options instead of ref names. The published assessment requires neither authentication nor user interaction and bounds the consequence as compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability1.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Argument injection in Gitea before 1.17.3 allows remote attackers to pass unintended options to backend Git commands through crafted refs. Git command builders passed user-controlled revisions and branches through AddArguments, so leading hyphens were interpreted as options instead of ref names. The published assessment requires neither authentication nor user interaction and bounds the consequence as compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-42968
Published
Oct 16, 2022
Updated
May 14, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-88, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 16, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 14, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-88Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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