Integer overflow in `git archive`, `git log --format` leading to RCE in git

Summary

Git is distributed revision control system. `git log` can display commits in an arbitrary format using its `--format` specifiers. This functionality is also exposed to `git archive` via the `export-subst` gitattribute. When processing the padding operators, there is a integer overflow in `pretty.c::format_and_pad_commit()` where a `size_t` is stored improperly as an `int`, and then added as an offset to a `memcpy()`. This overflow can be triggered directly by a user running a command which invokes the commit formatting machinery (e.g., `git log --format=...`). It may also be triggered indirectly through git archive via the export-subst mechanism, which expands format specifiers inside of files within the repository during a git archive. This integer overflow can result in arbitrary heap writes, which may result in arbitrary code execution. The problem has been patched in the versions published on 2023-01-17, going back to v2.30.7. Users are advised to upgrade. Users who are unable to upgrade should disable `git archive` in untrusted repositories. If you expose git archive via `git daemon`, disable it by running `git config --global daemon.uploadArch false`.

Timeline

1. Jan 17, 2023, 10:17 PM UTCCVE published
2. Mar 10, 2025, 8:59 PM UTCCISA SSVC assessment

   Exploitation: none · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: total

3. Mar 10, 2025, 9:21 PM UTCRecord last updated
4. Oct 28, 2026EPSS reached 10%

   FIRST estimates at least a 10% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Affected versions

• git git

  fixed in 2.30.7; From 2.31.0 · fixed in 2.31.6; From 2.32.0 · fixed in 2.32.5; From 2.33.0 · fixed in 2.33.6; From 2.34.0 · fixed in 2.34.6; From 2.35.0 · fixed in 2.35.6; From 2.36.0 · fixed in 2.36.4; From 2.37.0 · fixed in 2.37.5; From 2.38.0 · fixed in 2.38.3

References 6