CVE-2026-5917 PUBLISHED

libgit2 v0.27.0-v1.9.0 Shell Command Injection via ssh_libssh2 Backend

Assigner: VulnCheck
Reserved: 08.04.2026 Published: 11.08.2026 Updated: 11.08.2026

libgit2 versions v0.27.0 through v1.9.0 built with the libssh2 SSH backend (USE_SSH=libssh2) contain a shell command injection vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on an SSH server by supplying a repository path containing unescaped shell metacharacters such as single quotes, semicolons, or pipes. The gen_proto() function in ssh_libssh2.c inserts the repository path directly into a shell command string without escaping special characters before passing it to libssh2_channel_exec(), enabling an attacker to craft a malicious submodule URL in a .gitmodules file that, when processed during a recursive clone, causes the remote server's shell to interpret injected commands under the victim's SSH user account.

Metrics

CVSS Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
CVSS Score: 9.4

Product Status

Vendor libgit2
Product libgit2
Versions Default: affected
  • affected from 0.27.0 to 1.9.0 (incl.)

Credits

  • Kazuma Matsumoto, a security researcher at GMO Cybersecurity by IERAE, Inc. finder

References

Problem Types

  • Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') CWE