CVE-2019-1211 Git for Visual Studio Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

High 7.3 Published 14 Aug 2019 Updated 4 Aug 2024

An attacker can execute code as another local user by modifying Git configuration files before installation, requiring victim interaction.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Any signed-in user
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: A user has to click or open something
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2019-1211?

CVE-2019-1211 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, published on 14 Aug 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

Official description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Git for Visual Studio when it improperly parses configuration files. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code in the context of another local user. To exploit the vulnerability, an authenticated attacker would need to modify Git configuration files on a system prior to a full installation of the application. The attacker would then need to convince another user on the system to execute specific Git commands. The update addresses the issue by changing the permissions required to edit configuration files.

Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-1211?

It affects 2 products.

Products include Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, Microsoft Visual Studio 2019.

How do I fix CVE-2019-1211?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-1211 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Is CVE-2019-1211 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-1211 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-78g9-438v-4f34.