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🛡️ CVE-2023-4759 — jgit

🟠 CVSS 8.8 — High ✅ No Known Exploit CWE-59 NVD
8.8
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

Arbitrary File Overwrite in Eclipse JGit

Arbitrary File Overwrite in Eclipse JGit <= 6.6.0

In Eclipse JGit, all versions <= 6.6.0.202305301015-r, a symbolic link present in a specially crafted git repository can be used to write a file to locations outside the working tree when this repository is cloned with JGit to a case-insensitive filesystem, or when a checkout from a clone of such a repository is performed on a case-insensitive filesystem.

This can happen on checkout (DirCacheCheckout), merge (ResolveMerger via its WorkingTreeUpdater), pull (PullCommand using merge), and when applying a patch (PatchApplier). This can be exploited for remote code execution (RCE), for instance if the file written outside the working tree is a git filter that gets executed on a subsequent git command.

The issue occurs only on case-insensitive filesystems, like the default filesystems on Windows and macOS. The user performing the clone or checkout must have the rights to create symbolic links for the problem to occur, and symbolic links must be enabled in the git configuration.

Setting git configuration option core.symlinks = false before checking out avoids the problem.

The issue was fixed in Eclipse JGit version 6.6.1.202309021850-r and 6.7.0.202309050840-r, available via Maven Central https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/eclipse/jgit/  and repo.eclipse.org https://repo.eclipse.org/content/repositories/jgit-releases/ . A backport is available in 5.13.3 starting from 5.13.3.202401111512-r.

The JGit maintainers would like to thank RyotaK for finding and reporting this issue.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached over the network, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. A user must be tricked into taking some action. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network — reachable from anywhere that can route to the service.
  • Attack complexity: Low — the attack works reliably, with no preparation.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: Required — someone has to click, open or visit something.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Integrity impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Weakness class

CVE-2023-4759 is classified as CWE-59: Link Following. The software follows symbolic or hard links without verifying their target, so a planted link can redirect an operation to a sensitive file.

Affected software

CVE-2023-4759 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • jgit (from 6.7.0 up to 6.7.0.202309050840)
  • org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit (fixed in 5.13.3.202401111512-r)

Timeline and source

Published on 12 September 2023 and last revised on 17 June 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from NVD.

References

git.eclipse.org
gitlab.eclipse.org
projects.eclipse.org
git.eclipse.org
gitlab.eclipse.org
projects.eclipse.org

Other advisories for this package

jgit has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

Same weakness in other software

These advisories are the same class of weakness (CWE-59: Link Following) in other software:

CVE-2023-4759 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity HIGH
CVSS Score 8.8
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE CWE-59
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2023-09-12
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-06-17

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
jgit 6.7.0 6.7.0.202309050840
org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit — 5.13.3.202401111512-r

Site Security Check

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