CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2022-29187NVD status: Modified

git: Uncontrolled Search Path Element

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2022-29187 is a high-severity uncontrolled search path element vulnerability in git, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected git versions: >= 2.30.3, < 2.30.5; >= 2.31.2, < 2.31.4; >= 2.32.1, < 2.32.3, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.45% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Xcode to 14.1 or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Gitgit>= 2.30.3, < 2.30.5; >= 2.31.2, < 2.31.4; >= 2.32.1, < 2.32.3; >= 2.33.2, < 2.33.4; >= 2.34.2, < 2.34.4; >= 2.35.2, < 2.35.4; >= 2.36, < 2.36.2; >= 2.37, < 2.37.1Not stated
Fedora ProjectFedora35; 36; 37Not stated
AppleXcodebefore 14.114.1
DebianDebian Linux10.0Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.8HighCNA (github.com)
CVSS 3.17.8HighNVD
CVSS 2.06.9MediumNVD

Official description

Git is a distributed revision control system. Git prior to versions 2.37.1, 2.36.2, 2.35.4, 2.34.4, 2.33.4, 2.32.3, 2.31.4, and 2.30.5, is vulnerable to privilege escalation in all platforms. An unsuspecting user could still be affected by the issue reported in CVE-2022-24765, for example when navigating as root into a shared tmp directory that is owned by them, but where an attacker could create a git repository. Versions 2.37.1, 2.36.2, 2.35.4, 2.34.4, 2.33.4, 2.32.3, 2.31.4, and 2.30.5 contain a patch for this issue. The simplest way to avoid being affected by the exploit described in the example is to avoid running git as root (or an Administrator in Windows), and if needed to reduce its use to a minimum. While a generic workaround is not possible, a system could be hardened from the exploit described in the example by removing any such repository if it exists already and creating one as root to block any future attacks.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Uncontrolled Search Path Element

The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.
  • When invoking other programs, specify those programs using fully-qualified pathnames. While this is an effective approach, code that uses fully-qualified pathnames might not be portable to other systems that do not use the same pathnames. The portability can be improved by locating the full-qualified paths in a centralized, easily-modifiable location within the source code, and having the code refer to these paths.
  • Remove or restrict all environment settings before invoking other programs. This includes the PATH environment variable, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and other settings that identify the location of code libraries, and any application-specific search paths.

More Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerabilities (CWE-427)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Other references

Other vulnerabilities in git

All git vulnerabilities

Recent Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerabilities

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