go-git: Worktree operations may follow symlinks

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

7.1 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L

EPSS

• CVE-2026-71556: 0.36% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 29.51 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact A symlink traversal issue in go-git could allow worktree operations to modify files outside the intended worktree path. The worktreeFilesystem wrapper rejected dangerous path strings, including paths containing .git, parent-directory components, or control characters. However, it did not prevent filesystem operations from following symbolic links that were already present in the worktree. As a result, a path that is safe when evaluated as a string could still resolve into the repository's Git metadata directory. For example, if s is a symbolic link to .git, writing to s/config would modify .git/config. A symbolic link at the final path component could also be followed. For example, if s points directly to .git/config, opening s for writing with truncation could overwrite the repository configuration. Exploitation requires an attacker to be able to introduce or control a symbolic link in the worktree and cause the application to perform a write through that path. Applications…

Published by the source

7 Aug 2026, 16:38 UTC

Last modified by the source

1 Sep 2026, 03:55 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:28 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GO-2026-6213

3. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-71556

Advisory: go-git: Worktree operations may follow symlinks
IDs: CVE-2026-71556, GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-71556 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:28 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.1)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: github.com/go-git/go-git/v6 6.0.0-alpha.5; github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 5.19.2. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v6: affected <= 6.0.0-alpha.4; fixed in 6.0.0-alpha.5
- Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v5: affected <= 5.19.1; fixed in 5.19.2

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v6: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v5: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on github.com/go-git/go-git/v6, github.com/go-git/go-git/v5.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm (OSV record GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm lists affected ranges: Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 >=0 =0 <6.0.0-alpha.5 (fixed))
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GO-2026-6213 (OSV record GO-2026-6213 lists affected ranges: Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 >=0 =0 <6.0.0-alpha.5 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm lists affected ranges: Go github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 >=0 =0 <=6.0.0-alpha.4)

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