CVE-2026-76220: GitPython Unsafe Git Option Guard Bypass Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-wvpp-8hx9-p66j",
  "modified" : "2026-09-08T20:54:56Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-07T15:49:07Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-76220" ],
  "summary" : "GitPython: Unsafe git option guard bypass via split_single_char_options=False short-option token smuggling enables command execution",
  "details" : "## Summary\nThe `check_unsafe_options` guard can be bypassed on every guarded method (clone/clone_from, fetch/pull/push, ls_remote, iter_commits, blame, archive) by combining a single-character kwarg with `split_single_char_options=False`. The guard's candidate list omits the smuggled option, but `transform_kwarg` emits a JOINED `-n<value>` argv token that git parses as `--upload-pack=<cmd>`, yielding arbitrary command execution at the default `allow_unsafe_options=False`. This is an incomplete-fix bypass of commit `e8d0fbf7` (the fix for GHSA-r9mr-m37c-5fr3), which only emits value-derived candidates when `split_single_char_options` is True.\n\n## Root Cause\n`_option_candidates` derives value-token candidates only under `if len(key)==1 and split_single_char_options:` (cmd.py:1048, added by `e8d0fbf7`). With `split_single_char_options=False`, `_option_candidates([], {\"n\":\"utouch <cmd>;git-upload-pack\"})` returns only `['-n']` (not on the denylist), so the guard passes. But `transform_kwarg('n', value, split_single_char_options=False)` emits the JOINED token `-nutouch <cmd>;git-upload-pack` (cmd.py:1631). git clusters value-less short flags then parses `-u<cmd>` = `--upload-pack=<cmd>` → command execution. The hardened guard WOULD block the joined token if it saw it — the flaw is it never receives it.\n\n## Impact\nArbitrary OS command execution as the host process (via `--upload-pack`) at default `allow_unsafe_options=False`, affecting all guarded methods that forward kwargs. Precondition: the app forwards a user-controlled kwargs dict containing `split_single_char_options=False` plus a single-char key (same user-dict-forwarding model GHSA-r9mr-m37c-5fr3 accepts).\n\n## Proof of Concept\n```python\nfrom git import Repo\nRepo.clone_from(src, dst,\n    n=\"utouch /tmp/ACE;git-upload-pack\",\n    split_single_char_options=False)   # /tmp/ACE created -> ACE\n```\n\n## Attack Chain\n1. Entry: app forwards user kwargs to `Repo.clone_from(url, path, **kwargs)`: `{split_single_char_options: False, n: 'utouch /tmp/ACE;git-upload-pack'}`.\n2. Check: `check_unsafe_options(_option_candidates([], kwargs), unsafe_git_clone_options)`. Guard: denylist includes `--upload-pack`/`-u`. Bypass proof: `_option_candidates` yields only `['-n']` (value token skipped because `split=False`); guard never sees `-u`.\n3. Sink: `transform_kwarg` emits joined token (cmd.py:1631). argv (observed): `['git','clone','-v','-nutouch /tmp/ACE;git-upload-pack','--','<src>','<dst>']`.\n4. Impact: git clusters `-n` + `-u<cmd>` → runs upload-pack command → ACE.\n\n## Bypass Evidence\nIndependently reproduced (gate harness, default `allow_unsafe_options=False`): the `split=False` payload created the marker `VH05_GATE_ACE` (ACE); the clone returned normally (guard bypassed). Control: `n='--upload-pack=…'` (split default True) → `UnsafeOptionError: --upload-pack is not allowed`. Fix-commit read: `e8d0fbf7` extends candidates only under `if len(key)==1 and split_single_char_options:` — split=False skips value emission. Also confirmed the earlier clustering-parse fix (commit `56806080`) does not cover this because the guard only ever receives `['-n']`.\n\n## Affected Versions\n`GitPython <= 3.1.57` (code present verbatim on the latest release tag).\n\n## Suggested Fix\nMake `_option_candidates` emit value-derived candidates regardless of `split_single_char_options` (i.e. also for the joined `-n<value>` form), OR run `check_unsafe_options` over the fully-transformed argv rather than the reconstructed name-only candidate list.\n\n---\nReported by **zx (Jace)** — GitHub: @manus-use",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "GitPython"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.58"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.1.57"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/security/advisories/GHSA-wvpp-8hx9-p66j"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76220"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/pull/2204"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/commit/96a888f4d782cb2f80452148e48e60ce4af6d541"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/releases/tag/3.1.58"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/gitpython-before-command-execution-via-split-single-char-options"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-88" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-08-07T15:49:07Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}