CVE-2021-23632
CRITICALCVE-2021-23632 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) OS Command Injection vulnerability in git. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2021-23632 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Code injection in npm git
Blast Radius
Weekly download volume for affected packages — a proxy for how broadly this vulnerability is deployed.
gitnpmDescription
All versions of package git are vulnerable to Remote Code Execution (RCE) due to missing sanitization in the Git.git method, which allows execution of OS commands rather than just git commands. Steps to Reproduce 1. Create a file named exploit.js with the following content: js var Git = require("git").Git; var repo = new Git("repo-test"); var user_input = "version; date"; repo.git(user_input, function(err, result) { console.log(result); }) 2. In the same directory as exploit.js, run npm install git. 3. Run exploit.js: node exploit.js. You should see the outputs of both the git version and date command-lines. Note that the repo-test Git repository does not need to be present to make this PoC work.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | git | all versions | No fix |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for git. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Remediation status
No patched version of git has shipped for CVE-2021-23632 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2021-23632 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2021-23632. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-23632 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2021-23632 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.