CVE-2023-4759 Improper handling of case insensitive filesystems in Eclipse JGit allows arbitrary file write
Attackers can overwrite arbitrary files via crafted symlinks on case-insensitive filesystems, potentially leading to remote code execution.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2023-4759?
CVE-2023-4759 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Eclipse JGit, published on 12 Sep 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
Arbitrary File Overwrite in Eclipse JGit <= 6.6.0
In Eclipse JGit, all versions <= 6.6.0.202305301015-r, a symbolic link present in a specially crafted git repository can be used to write a file to locations outside the working tree when this repository is cloned with JGit to a case-insensitive filesystem, or when a checkout from a clone of such a repository is performed on a case-insensitive filesystem.
This can happen on checkout (DirCacheCheckout), merge (ResolveMerger via its WorkingTreeUpdater), pull (PullCommand using merge), and when applying a patch (PatchApplier). This can be exploited for remote code execution (RCE), for instance if the file written outside the working tree is a git filter that gets executed on a subsequent git command.
The issue occurs only on case-insensitive filesystems, like the default filesystems on Windows and macOS. The user performing the clone or checkout must have the rights to create symbolic links for the problem to occur, and symbolic links must be enabled in the git configuration.
Setting git configuration option core.symlinks = false before checking out avoids the problem.
The issue was fixed in Eclipse JGit version 6.6.1.202309021850-r and 6.7.0.202309050840-r, available via Maven Central https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/eclipse/jgit/ and repo.eclipse.org https://repo.eclipse.org/content/repositories/jgit-releases/ . A backport is available in 5.13.3 starting from 5.13.3.202401111512-r.
The JGit maintainers would like to thank RyotaK for finding and reporting this issue.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-4759?
4 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit Maven | All versions | 5.13.3.202401111512-r |
org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit Maven | All versions | 5.13.3.202401111512-r |
org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit Maven | From 6.0.0.202111291000-r | 6.6.1.202309021850-r |
org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit Maven | From 6.0.0.202111291000-r | 6.6.1.202309021850-r |
Linux distribution packages (17)
jsch SUSE:Enterprise Storage 7.1 | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-ESPOS | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP4 | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP5 | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP2 | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
jsch SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.3 | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
eclipse-jgit openSUSE:Leap 15.4 | All versions | 5.11.0-150200.3.15.2 |
jgit openSUSE:Leap 15.4 | All versions | 5.11.0-150200.3.15.2 |
jsch openSUSE:Leap 15.4 | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
eclipse-jgit openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 5.11.0-150200.3.15.2 |
jsch openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 0.2.9-150200.11.10.1 |
eclipse-jgit openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 5.11.0-9.1 |
Products include Eclipse Jgit.
How do I fix CVE-2023-4759?
Upgrade org.eclipse.jgit:org.eclipse.jgit to a fixed version for your release line: 5.13.3.202401111512-r or 6.6.1.202309021850-r.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2023-4759 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-4759 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Eclipse JGit
Sources
Also known as CLSA-2026-1771373384, CVE-2024-41807, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-4759, GHSA-3p86-9955-h393, MINI-6c9h-6q4x-wrvf, OESA-2023-1995 and 4 more.