Git LFS Credential Vulnerability Affecting Git Extensions from GitHub

CVE-2024-53263

What is CVE-2024-53263?

CVE-2024-53263 is a security vulnerability found in Git LFS, a Git extension designed for managing large files efficiently within version control systems. This vulnerability arises when Git LFS requests credentials from Git for a remote host without adequately sanitizing the URL, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the host's URL by inserting control characters. This flaw can lead to unauthorized access to a user's Git credentials, which could significantly undermine an organization’s security by exposing sensitive information.

Technical Details

The vulnerability occurs in Git LFS when it communicates with the Git credential helper. Specifically, during the credential request process, portions of the host's URL are passed to the git-credential(1) command without verification for embedded line-ending control characters. Attackers can exploit this by introducing URL-encoded control characters, like line feed (LF) or carriage return (CR), into the URL. If successful, this would allow the attacker to obtain credentials that the Git credential helper returns, thereby gaining access to potentially sensitive repositories.

Potential Impact of CVE-2024-53263

1. Credential Exposure: The most direct consequence of this vulnerability is the exposure of Git credentials. If an attacker retrieves a user's credentials, they may gain access to repositories, leading to potential data leakage or unauthorized changes in important codebases.

2. Compromised Software Supply Chain: Unauthorized access to version controlled resources could enable an attacker to manipulate code or introduce malicious components into the software development lifecycle, thereby threatening software integrity and increasing the risk of further attacks downstream.

3. Increased Attack Surface: With the potential for credential theft, organizations face an elevated risk of additional attacks. Compromised credentials could be used to target other systems or services connected to the user's Git repositories, expanding the vulnerabilities across the organization’s IT environment.

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