gix and gitoxide's symlinked .gitmodules are followed and parsed from outside of the repository

Exploitation

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

CVSS 4.0

7.7 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P · score source

EPSS

No dated EPSS signal available.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary attachments: pocs.zip When Repository::submodules() loads submodule metadata, it prefers the worktree .gitmodules file if that path exists. In the current implementation, the path is read with std::fs::read(), which follows symlinks. As a result, a repository can present a symlinked .gitmodules that points outside the repository, and gitoxide will parse the out-of-repository bytes as submodule configuration. This is a repository-boundary violation. A caller using the high-level submodule API can believe it is reading repository-local submodule metadata, while the bytes are actually coming from an arbitrary file outside the repository tree. Root cause analysis The relevant flow is: 1. gix/src/repository/location.rs derives the worktree .gitmodules path as workdir/.gitmodules. 2. gix/src/repository/submodule.rs reads that path with std::fs::read(&path) and immediately parses the bytes as a submodule configuration file. 3. Repository::submodules() exposes the parsed entries…

Published by the source

5 May 2026, 19:26 UTC

Last modified by the source

5 May 2026, 19:26 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:42 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-pg4w-g64p-qwhj

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# Patch Next advisory brief: GHSA-pg4w-g64p-qwhj

Advisory: gix and gitoxide's symlinked .gitmodules are followed and parsed from outside of the repository
IDs: GHSA-pg4w-g64p-qwhj
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-pg4w-g64p-qwhj (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:42 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.7)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: gix 0.83.0; gitoxide 0.52.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- crates.io gix: affected < 0.83.0; fixed in 0.83.0
- crates.io gitoxide: affected <= 0.52.0; fixed in 0.52.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- crates.io gix: check the installed version with your package manager.
- crates.io gitoxide: 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 gix, gitoxide.
- 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://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pg4w-g64p-qwhj (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-pg4w-g64p-qwhj lists affected ranges: crates.io gitoxide >=0 =0 <0.83.0)

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