{"id":"CVE-2023-40590","aliases":["GHSA-wfm5-v35h-vwf4","PYSEC-2023-161"],"url":"https://o3.security/vulnerability/CVE-2023-40590","summary":"Untrusted search path on Windows systems leading to arbitrary code execution","details":"### Summary\n\nWhen resolving a program, Python/Windows look for the current working directory, and after that the PATH environment (see big warning in https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html#popen-constructor). 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`.\n\n### Details\n\nThis 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.\n\nThe execution of the `git` command happens in\n\nhttps://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/blob/1c8310d7cae144f74a671cbe17e51f63a830adbf/git/cmd.py#L277 \n\nhttps://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/blob/1c8310d7cae144f74a671cbe17e51f63a830adbf/git/cmd.py#L983-L996\n\nAnd there are other commands executed that should probably be aware of this problem.\n\n### PoC\n\nOn a Windows system, create a `git.exe` or `git` executable in any directory, and import or run GitPython from that directory\n\n```\npython -c \"import git\"\n```\n\nThe git executable from the current directory will be run.\n\n### Impact\n\nAn 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.\n\n### Possible solutions\n \n- Default to an absolute path for the git program on Windows, like `C:\\\\Program Files\\\\Git\\\\cmd\\\\git.EXE` (default git path installation).\n- Require users to set the `GIT_PYTHON_GIT_EXECUTABLE` environment variable on Windows systems.\n- 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.\n- Resolve the executable manually by only looking into the `PATH` environment variable (suggested by @Byron)\n\n---\n\n> [!NOTE]\n> This vulnerability was reported via email, and it was decided to publish it here and make it public, so the community is aware of it, and a fix can be provided.","published":"2023-08-28T17:24:09.965Z","modified":"2026-08-12T03:51:32.912876278Z","cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"epss":{"score":0.00465,"percentile":0.38542,"asOf":"2026-08-23"},"cisaKev":null,"exploitsKnown":1,"affectedPackages":[{"ecosystem":"PyPI","name":"gitpython","fixedVersion":"3.1.33"}],"fix":{"url":"https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/pull/1636","label":"gitpython-developers/GitPython#1636"},"references":[{"type":"WEB","url":"https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html#popen-constructor"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/40xxx/CVE-2023-40590.json"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/security/advisories/GHSA-wfm5-v35h-vwf4"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40590"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/issues/1635"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/pull/1636"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/commit/8b75434e2c8a082cdeb4971cc6f0ee2bafec45bc"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/releases/tag/3.1.33"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/gitpython/PYSEC-2023-161.yaml"}],"provenance":{"sources":["OSV.dev","FIRST.org (EPSS)"],"lastVerified":"2026-08-12T03:51:32.912876278Z"}}