CVE-2026-78675: GitPython arbitrary local file content disclosure via .gitmodules [include]

CVE-2026-78675 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.4 · Published 2026-08-25

GitPython is a widely-used library for programmatic Git repository access, commonly integrated into CI/CD systems, code-review bots, and dependency scanners that process third-party repositories. A defect in how GitPython parses repository submodule configuration (.gitmodules) allows an attacker to disclose the first line of any file readable by the application—such as environment variables, API keys, or /etc/passwd—by embedding a path directive in a malicious repository. The victim need only perform the most routine read-only operation: listing the repository's submodules. This affects any application that processes untrusted repositories.

Technologies: Gitpython Project Gitpython, gitpython (PyPI). Vendors: Gitpython Project, PyPI.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-78675 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-78675 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-78675?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.4, published 25 August 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
gitpython (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=3.1.59.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-78675?
Yes. gitpython (PyPI): upgrade to 3.1.59 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-78675 attacked?
It is attacked over the network or with local access, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-78675?
Check whether you run Gitpython Project Gitpython or gitpython (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • gitpython (PyPI): upgrade to 3.1.59 or later
    pip install "gitpython>=3.1.59"

Technical details

GitPython's SubmoduleConfigParser parses .gitmodules (tracked, attacker-controlled repository content) without disabling the merge_includes feature that causes the ConfigParser to follow [include] directives to arbitrary filesystem paths. When an include path points to a non-gitconfig file (e.g., /etc/passwd, .env), the parser raises configparser.MissingSectionHeaderError with the target file's first line embedded verbatim in the exception message. Because Submodule.iter_items() catches only IOError and BadName (not configparser.Error), this exception propagates uncaught through the public repo.submodules API. Include-path resolution uses osp.isabs() to bypass path containment checks entirely for absolute paths and performs no repository-boundary verification. A sibling code path in Repo.config_writer() was hardened with merge_includes=False in 2023, but Submodule._config_parser() was never updated. The vulnerability requires only cloning an attacker repository and iterating repo.submodules—no authentication, submodule checkout, or user interaction.

Affected products

  • GitPython developers GitPython 3.1.58 and earlier

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-78675
  • GHSA-7833-fr7j-v32q
  • PYSEC-2026-3785

Timeline

  • 2026-08-05: disclosed: Vulnerability present in GitPython HEAD (commit 9729ed3b948f2bde09f1f188c5311e172212b67e, version 3.1.58)
  • 2026-08-10: advisory: GHSA-7833-fr7j-v32q published on GitHub Advisory Database
  • 2026: patched: Fixed in GitPython 3.1.59
  • 2026-09-08: other: CVE-2026-78675 assigned; advisory updated September 8, 2026

References

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