CVE-2026-5917
Description
A flaw was found in libgit2 when built with the libssh2 SSH backend. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on an SSH server. By crafting a malicious repository path containing unescaped shell metacharacters, an attacker can inject commands that are then interpreted by the remote server's shell during operations like a recursive clone. This could lead to arbitrary code execution under the victim's SSH user account.
Statement
This is an Important flaw. Red Hat products utilizing libgit2 with the libssh2 SSH backend are susceptible to remote arbitrary code execution. This occurs when processing a maliciously crafted repository path containing unescaped shell metacharacters during a recursive clone operation, allowing an attacker to inject and execute commands on the SSH server under the victim's user account.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, avoid cloning Git repositories from untrusted sources, especially those containing submodules. If possible, disable automatic recursive cloning of submodules when working with potentially untrusted repositories. Ensure that SSH user accounts used for cloning have minimal necessary privileges to limit the impact of successful exploitation.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 8.8 | N/A | 9.6 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Changed |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity,Availability,Non-Repudiation
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; Read Files or Directories; Modify Files or Directories; Read Application Data; Modify Application Data; Hide Activities
Attackers could execute unauthorized operating system commands, which could then be used to disable the product, or read and modify data for which the attacker does not have permissions to access directly. Since the targeted application is directly executing the commands instead of the attacker, any malicious activities may appear to come from the application or the application's owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
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