Arbitrary file modification via unchecked reference paths
Published May 7, 2026 · Updated May 7, 2026
Path traversal in GitPython before 3.1.48 allows attackers to write, overwrite, move, or delete files outside a repository's .git directory. Reference creation, set_reference, rename, and delete APIs join untrusted ref names to repository paths without consistently validating that the resolved path remains within the repository boundary. Exploitation requires a consuming application to pass attacker-controlled ref names, after which files reachable with that process's permissions can be modified or deleted.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in GitPython before 3.1.48 allows attackers to write, overwrite, move, or delete files outside a repository's .git directory. Reference creation, set_reference, rename, and delete APIs join untrusted ref names to repository paths without consistently validating that the resolved path remains within the repository boundary. Exploitation requires a consuming application to pass attacker-controlled ref names, after which files reachable with that process's permissions can be modified or deleted.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-44243
- Published
- May 7, 2026
- Updated
- May 7, 2026
- Vendor
- GitPython Developers
- Product
- GitPython
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1565.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 7, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 7, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 3.1.48
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Upstream reference-path proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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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