{"id":"UBUNTU-CVE-2023-40590","details":"GitPython is a python library used to interact with Git repositories. When resolving a program, Python/Windows look for the current working directory, and after that the PATH environment. GitPython defaults to use the `git` command, if a user runs GitPython from a repo has a `git.exe` or `git` executable, that program will be run instead of the one in the user's `PATH`. This is more of a problem on how Python interacts with Windows systems, Linux and any other OS aren't affected by this. But probably people using GitPython usually run it from the CWD of a repo. An attacker can trick a user to download a repository with a malicious `git` executable, if the user runs/imports GitPython from that directory, it allows the attacker to run any arbitrary commands. There is no fix currently available for windows users, however there are a few mitigations. 1: Default to an absolute path for the git program on Windows, like `C:\\\\Program Files\\\\Git\\\\cmd\\\\git.EXE` (default git path installation). 2: Require users to set the `GIT_PYTHON_GIT_EXECUTABLE` environment variable on Windows systems. 3: Make this problem prominent in the documentation and advise users to never run GitPython from an untrusted repo, or set the `GIT_PYTHON_GIT_EXECUTABLE` env var to an absolute path. 4: Resolve the executable manually by only looking into the `PATH` environment variable.","modified":"2026-05-26T22:45:06.460738424Z","published":"2023-08-28T18:15:00Z","upstream":["CVE-2023-40590"],"references":[{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2023-40590"},{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html#popen-constructor"},{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/security/advisories/GHSA-wfm5-v35h-vwf4"},{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-40590"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"python-git","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/python-git?arch=source&distro=esm-infra-legacy%2Ftrusty"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}],"versions":["0.3.2~RC1-2","0.3.2~RC1-3","0.3.2~RC1-3ubuntu0.1~esm1","0.3.2~RC1-3ubuntu0.1~esm2","0.3.2~RC1-3ubuntu0.1~esm3"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_version":"0.3.2~RC1-3ubuntu0.1~esm3","binary_name":"python-git"}]},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-40590.json"}},{"package":{"name":"python-git","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/python-git?arch=source&distro=esm-apps-legacy%2Fxenial"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}],"versions":["1.0.1+git137-gc8b8379-1","1.0.1+git137-gc8b8379-2","1.0.1+git137-gc8b8379-2.1","1.0.1+git137-gc8b8379-2.1ubuntu0.1~esm1","1.0.1+git137-gc8b8379-2.1ubuntu0.1~esm2","1.0.1+git137-gc8b8379-2.1ubuntu0.1~esm4"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"python-git","binary_version":"1.0.1+git137-gc8b8379-2.1ubuntu0.1~esm4"},{"binary_version":"1.0.1+git137-gc8b8379-2.1ubuntu0.1~esm4","binary_name":"python3-git"}]},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-40590.json"}},{"package":{"name":"python-git","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/python-git?arch=source&distro=esm-apps%2Fbionic"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}],"versions":["2.1.5-1","2.1.6-1","2.1.7-1","2.1.8-1","2.1.8-1ubuntu0.1~esm1","2.1.8-1ubuntu0.1~esm2","2.1.8-1ubuntu0.1~esm4"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"python-git","binary_version":"2.1.8-1ubuntu0.1~esm4"},{"binary_name":"python3-git","binary_version":"2.1.8-1ubuntu0.1~esm4"}]},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-40590.json"}},{"package":{"name":"python-git","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/python-git?arch=source&distro=esm-apps%2Ffocal"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}],"versions":["2.1.11-1","3.0.4-1","3.0.5-1","3.0.7-1","3.0.7-1ubuntu0.1~esm1","3.0.7-1ubuntu0.1~esm2","3.0.7-1ubuntu0.1~esm4"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_version":"3.0.7-1ubuntu0.1~esm4","binary_name":"python3-git"}]},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-40590.json"}},{"package":{"name":"python-git","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:22.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/python-git?arch=source&distro=jammy"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}],"versions":["3.1.14-1","3.1.23-1","3.1.24-1"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"python3-git","binary_version":"3.1.24-1"}]},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-40590.json"}}],"schema_version":"1.7.5","severity":[{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},{"type":"Ubuntu","score":"negligible"}]}