CVE-2024-45720 in Subversion
Summary
by MITRE • 10/09/2024
On Windows platforms, a "best fit" character encoding conversion of command line arguments to Subversion's executables (e.g., svn.exe, etc.) may lead to unexpected command line argument interpretation, including argument injection and execution of other programs, if a specially crafted command line argument string is processed.
All versions of Subversion up to and including Subversion 1.14.3 are affected on Windows platforms only. Users are recommended to upgrade to version Subversion 1.14.4, which fixes this issue.
Subversion is not affected on UNIX-like platforms.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical command line argument injection flaw affecting Windows implementations of Subversion software. The issue stems from how the software handles character encoding conversion during command line argument processing, specifically when dealing with "best fit" character mappings that occur when converting between different code pages. The flaw manifests exclusively on Windows platforms due to differences in how the operating system manages character encoding compared to UNIX-like systems, where the software operates correctly without such encoding conversion issues. When maliciously crafted command line arguments containing special characters are processed, the conversion logic can interpret these inputs in unexpected ways, leading to arbitrary command execution.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of character encoding during command line argument parsing on Windows systems. When Subversion processes command line inputs, it performs automatic character encoding conversions that map characters from one code page to another using best fit mappings. This process can result in unexpected behavior when special characters or multi-byte sequences are present in the command line arguments. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-157 as "Improper Handling of Character Encoding" and specifically relates to CWE-74 as "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component." The flaw occurs because the software does not properly validate or sanitize command line arguments before processing them through the encoding conversion pipeline, allowing attackers to inject malicious arguments that bypass normal input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to perform command injection attacks against Subversion installations on Windows platforms. An attacker could craft a specially formatted command line argument that, when processed through the flawed encoding conversion logic, gets interpreted as multiple separate commands or arguments. This could lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running the Subversion executable, potentially allowing for complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects all versions of Subversion up to and including 1.14.3, making it a widespread concern for organizations using Windows-based Subversion deployments. The attack vector requires local execution or access to a system where Subversion is installed, making it particularly dangerous in environments where Subversion is used for version control operations with elevated privileges.
Organizations using Subversion on Windows platforms should immediately upgrade to version 1.14.4 or later to remediate this vulnerability. The fix implemented in the newer version addresses the character encoding conversion issue by properly sanitizing and validating command line arguments before processing them through the encoding conversion pipeline. Additional mitigations include implementing proper input validation at the application level, restricting command line argument handling to ASCII characters only where possible, and ensuring that Subversion installations are running with the minimum required privileges. System administrators should also consider monitoring for unusual command line argument patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 as "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1059.003 as "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell," since the exploitation involves command injection through shell interpretation of malformed arguments. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and secure coding practices when dealing with character encoding conversions in cross-platform applications.