CVE-2024-52005 in Git
Summary
by MITRE • 01/15/2025
Git is a source code management tool. When cloning from a server (or fetching, or pushing), informational or error messages are transported from the remote Git process to the client via the so-called "sideband channel". These messages will be prefixed with "remote:" and printed directly to the standard error output. Typically, this standard error output is connected to a terminal that understands ANSI escape sequences, which Git did not protect against. Most modern terminals support control sequences that can be used by a malicious actor to hide and misrepresent information, or to mislead the user into executing untrusted scripts. As requested on the git-security mailing list, the patches are under discussion on the public mailing list. Users are advised to update as soon as possible. Users unable to upgrade should avoid recursive clones unless they are from trusted sources.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-52005 represents a critical security flaw in Git's handling of sideband channel communications during remote operations such as cloning, fetching, and pushing. This issue stems from Git's improper sanitization of informational and error messages transmitted through the sideband channel, which serves as a communication pathway between remote Git processes and client applications. The sideband channel specifically prefixes messages with "remote:" and outputs them directly to standard error, a mechanism designed for user feedback during Git operations. However, this design creates a significant attack surface when standard error is connected to terminals that support ANSI escape sequences, as these sequences can be exploited to manipulate terminal behavior and information display.
The technical flaw manifests when Git processes sideband messages without adequate protection against malicious ANSI escape sequences that can be embedded within the remote messages. These sequences can be used to manipulate terminal displays by hiding or misrepresenting information, creating deceptive user interfaces, or even executing unintended commands. Attackers can craft malicious remote repositories that send specially formatted escape sequences through the sideband channel, potentially leading to misleading information presentation or more dangerous terminal manipulation. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the level of terminal output rather than network protocol handling, making it difficult to detect through traditional network monitoring or security scanning approaches.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-52005 extends beyond simple information misrepresentation to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks against developers and system administrators who rely on Git for source code management. When users perform recursive clones or other Git operations, they may unknowingly encounter malicious escape sequences that could hide important warning messages, disguise malicious content, or create confusion during critical operations. The vulnerability affects all Git versions that support sideband channel communication, making it widespread across development environments where Git is deployed. This issue aligns with CWE-116, which addresses the improper handling of escape sequences, and represents a significant concern for the ATT&CK framework's T1059.007 technique related to command and scripting interpreters. The security implications become particularly severe when considering that many developers trust Git's output without additional verification, creating a potential attack vector for social engineering or command injection scenarios.
Organizations and individual users must prioritize updating their Git installations to address this vulnerability, as the patches addressing CVE-2024-52005 are actively under discussion and review on public mailing lists. The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrading of Git to versions that properly sanitize sideband channel messages and prevent the execution of malicious escape sequences. For users who cannot immediately upgrade their Git installations, the advisory specifically recommends avoiding recursive cloning operations unless the source repositories are explicitly trusted. This temporary workaround helps reduce exposure while maintaining operational capabilities. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unusual Git operations and consider implementing additional verification steps for repositories that are not part of established trusted sources. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of considering terminal-level security in software design, particularly when dealing with user-facing output mechanisms that interact with potentially untrusted data sources.