CVE-2023-29011: git_for_windows_project git_for_windows Uncontrolled Search Path Element

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2023-29011 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability in git_for_windows_project git_for_windows. EPSS estimates a 0.38% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 30.5% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 25-04-2023
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 03-02-2025
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Git for Windows, the Windows port of Git, ships with an executable called `connect.exe`, which implements a SOCKS5 proxy that can be used to connect e.g. to SSH servers via proxies when certain ports are blocked for outgoing connections. The location of `connect.exe`'s config file is hard-coded as `/etc/connectrc` which will typically be interpreted as `C:\etc\connectrc`. Since `C:\etc` can be created by any authenticated user, this makes `connect.exe` susceptible to malicious files being placed there by other users on the same multi-user machine. The problem has been patched in Git for Windows v2.40.1. As a workaround, create the folder `etc` on all drives where Git commands are run, and remove read/write access from those folders. Alternatively, watch out for malicious `<drive>:\etc\connectrc` files on multi-user machines.

• CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path ElementThe product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.