Path traversal in jelmer dulwich
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-22 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
Dulwich is a pure-Python implementation of the Git file formats and protocols. Starting in version 0.23.2 and prior to version 1.2.5, `dulwich.porcelain.submodule_update`, and by extension `porcelain.clone(..., recurse_submodules=True)`, materializes attacker-controlled submodule paths from a crafted upstream repository without path validation. A malicious `.gitmodules` plus a matching tree gitlink whose `path` is `.git/hooks` (or any other directory inside the parent repository's `.git` directory) causes the attacker's submodule tree contents to be written directly into the victim's `.git/hooks/` directory, preserving executable mode bits. The dropped executables are then run by any subsequent `git` or `dulwich` command that invokes the matching hook, resulting in arbitrary code execution. This is the dulwich equivalent of the upstream Git fixes for CVE-2024-32002 / CVE-2024-32004, which were never propagated into dulwich's separately implemented submodule porcelain. Version 1.2.5 patches the issue.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jelmer | dulwich | 0.23.2 to before 1.2.5 | 1.2.5 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | dulwich (PyPI) | 0.23.2 to before 1.2.5 | 1.2.5 | Patch available | GHSA-gfhv-vqv2-4544 |
- dulwich Vendorjelmer Affected 0.23.2 to before 1.2.5 Fixed in 1.2.5 Patch available CNA
- dulwich (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 0.23.2 to before 1.2.5 Fixed in 1.2.5 Patch available GHSA-gfhv-vqv2-4544
Remediation
- Fix · CNA dulwich (jelmer) Fixed in 1.2.5
- Fix · GHSA-gfhv-vqv2-4544 dulwich (PyPI) Fixed in 1.2.5 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI) | Affected | No fix yet |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2
- Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI)
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat Satellite 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-52726
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-gfhv-vqv2-4544
- 2026-10-25 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile
References
More jelmer vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-78707 Path traversal in Dulwich lets attackers write files on Windows CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-30843 Dulwich Vulnerable to Command Injection via Merge Driver Path CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.7
- TI-2026-78709 Symlink following in Dulwich checkout allows arbitrary file writes CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.3
- TI-2026-30613 Dulwich has an arbitrary file write via NTFS-hostile tree entries on Windows CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2026-85266 Dulwich commit parser picks the wrong tree from duplicate headers CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.6
- TI-2026-78708 Infinite recursion in Dulwich pack parsing causes denial of service CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.1
Sources
- CVE-2026-52726 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-52726 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-gfhv-vqv2-4544 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-52726 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences