gitoxide: Symlink prefix-reuse allows worktree escape during checkout
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
gitoxide is an implementation of git written in Rust. Prior to 0.21.1, a malicious tree can be constructed that will, when checked out with gitoxide, permit writing an attacker-controlled symlink into any existing directory the user has write access to. During checkout, all symlink index entries are deferred and created after regular files using a single shared gix_worktree::Stack. Internally, this uses a gix_fs::Stack. gix_fs::Stack::make_relative_path_current() caches validated path prefixes: when the previously-processed leaf component exactly matches the leading component(s) of the next path, the leaf-to-directory transition at gix-fs/src/stack.rs invokes only delegate.push_directory(), never delegate.push(). In gix_worktree::stack::delegate::StackDelegate, when the state member is State::CreateDirectoryAndAttributesStack, Attributes::push_directory() only loads attributes (from the ODB, in the clone case), and does not perform any other checks. The on-disk symlink_metadata() check and unlink-on-collision live in StackDelegate::push()'s invocation of create_leading_directory(), which is therefore bypassed for the cached prefix. The final symlink is created with plain std::os::unix::fs::symlink, which follows symlinks in parent directories. Therefore, it's possible to provide a tree with duplicate symlink and directory entries that exploits this. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.21.1.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitoxideLabs | gitoxide | before 0.21.1 | 0.21.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | gix-fs (crates.io) | before 0.21.1 | 0.21.1 | Patch available | GHSA-f89h-2fjh-2r9q |
- gitoxide VendorGitoxideLabs Affected before 0.21.1 Fixed in 0.21.1 Patch available CNA
- gix-fs (crates.io) Vendor— Affected before 0.21.1 Fixed in 0.21.1 Patch available GHSA-f89h-2fjh-2r9q
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:gitoxidelabs:gix-fs:*:*:*:*:*:rust:*:* | before 0.21.1 | Vulnerable | GitoxideLabs |
- cpe:2.3:a:gitoxidelabs:gix-fs:*:*:*:*:*:rust:*:* Versions before 0.21.1 Vulnerable ·GitoxideLabs
Remediation
- Fix · CNA gitoxide (GitoxideLabs) Fixed in 0.21.1
- Fix · GHSA-f89h-2fjh-2r9q gix-fs (crates.io) Fixed in 0.21.1 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-44471
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-f89h-2fjh-2r9q
References
Sources
- CVE-2026-44471 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-44471 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-f89h-2fjh-2r9q · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences