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Arbitrary File Overwrite in Eclipse JGit

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Sep 18, 2023 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Apr 11, 2024

Package

maven org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit (Maven)

Affected versions

>= 6.0.0.202111291000-r, <= 6.6.0.202305301015-r
< 5.13.3.202401111512-r

Patched versions

6.6.1.202309021850-r
5.13.3.202401111512-r

Description

Arbitrary File Overwrite in Eclipse JGit <= 6.6.0

In Eclipse JGit, all versions <= 6.6.0.202305301015-r, a symbolic link present in a specially crafted git repository can be used to write a file to locations outside the working tree when this repository is cloned with JGit to a case-insensitive filesystem, or when a checkout from a clone of such a repository is performed on a case-insensitive filesystem.

This can happen on checkout (DirCacheCheckout), merge (ResolveMerger via its WorkingTreeUpdater), pull (PullCommand using merge), and when applying a patch (PatchApplier). This can be exploited for remote code execution (RCE), for instance if the file written outside the working tree is a git filter that gets executed on a subsequent git command.

The issue occurs only on case-insensitive filesystems, like the default filesystems on Windows and macOS. The user performing the clone or checkout must have the rights to create symbolic links for the problem to occur, and symbolic links must be enabled in the git configuration.

Setting git configuration option core.symlinks = false before checking out avoids the problem.

The issue was fixed in Eclipse JGit version 6.6.1.202309021850-r and 6.7.0.202309050840-r, available via Maven Central https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/eclipse/jgit/  and repo.eclipse.org https://repo.eclipse.org/content/repositories/jgit-releases/ . A backport is available in 5.13.3 starting from 5.13.3.202401111512-r.

The JGit maintainers would like to thank RyotaK for finding and reporting this issue.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Sep 12, 2023
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Sep 18, 2023
Reviewed Sep 18, 2023
Last updated Apr 11, 2024

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

0.201%
(58th percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2023-4759

GHSA ID

GHSA-3p86-9955-h393

Credits

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