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

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

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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 available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Aug 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-78g9-438v-4f34

## 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: 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.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017

- [CVE-2025-21178](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21178/): Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1349](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1349/): Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1350](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1350/): Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1352](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1352/): Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1354](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1354/): Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-1211 and fix it if it is affected.

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

Affected product: Microsoft Visual Studio 2017. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1211/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1211/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-1211
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-1211
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-1211

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1211/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.