# gitoxide gix path-protection bypass via untrusted .git/config

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/gitoxide-gix-untrusted-git-config-disables-filesystem-git-protection-1eddd4d0  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-23. Updated: 2026-10-23  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

Severity: high · CVSS 7.3 · Published 2026-10-23

gitoxide is a Rust implementation of Git that handles repository operations. An attacker who controls a repository's configuration on a shared filesystem can disable filesystem path-protection checks, allowing specially crafted files to overwrite Git hooks and configuration. On case-insensitive filesystems like Windows NTFS or macOS HFS+, this can lead to arbitrary code execution when Git operations trigger hooks.

Technologies: [gix (crates.io)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/gix). Vendors: [crates.io](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/crates-io).

## Quick answers

**Is This vulnerability exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of This vulnerability being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is This vulnerability?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.3, published 23 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** gix (crates.io) >= 0.88.0, <= 0.89.0, SEMVER:introduced=0.88.0,fixed=0.90.0; Gitoxide Gix 0.88.0 through 0.89.0.

**Is there a fix for This vulnerability?** Yes. gix (crates.io): upgrade to 0.90.0 or later. Until then: Avoid opening untrusted or other-user-owned repositories with gix-based tools on shared or case-insensitive filesystems until upgrading.</anigation>
<parameter name="timeline">[{"kind":"disclosed", "at":"2026-10-23"}] Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is This vulnerability attacked?** It is attacked over the network or with local access.

**Am I affected?** Check whether you run gix (crates.io) or Gitoxide Gix 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

- gix (crates.io): upgrade to 0.90.0 or later

  ```sh
  cargo update -p gix
  ```


Avoid opening untrusted or other-user-owned repositories with gix-based tools on shared or case-insensitive filesystems until upgrading.</anigation>
<parameter name="timeline">[{"kind":"disclosed", "at":"2026-10-23"}]

## Technical details

The vulnerability exists in gix's Cache::protect_options() function, which reads filesystem path-protection settings (core.protectHFS, core.protectNTFS, gitoxide.core.protectWindows) using an unfiltered boolean() accessor instead of the trust-aware boolean_filter() used elsewhere. Under Trust::Reduced (when repository ownership mismatches), untrusted repository-local .git/config sections should be rejected, but protect_options() honors them anyway, allowing attackers to disable .git-confusion checks during checkout, index creation, merge, or tree editing. The attacker can then use filesystem-specific encodings (NTFS short names like GIT~1, HFS+ ignorable code points) that resolve to .git on case-insensitive filesystems.

## Affected products

- gitoxide gix 0.88.0 through 0.89.0

## Related threats

- [gitoxide path traversal in submodule name validation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-82253-gitoxide-path-traversal-in-submodule-name-validation)
- [gitoxide symlink following in .gitmodules file](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-82252-gitoxide-symlink-following-in-gitmodules-file)
- [gitoxide path traversal in submodule name resolution](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-82251-gitoxide-path-traversal-in-submodule-name-resolution)
- [gitoxide gix-submodule command injection in gix_submodule::File::update](https://junglewise.ai/threats/gitoxide-gix-submodule-command-injection-in-gix-submodule-file-update-5009257f)
- [Gitoxide gix-submodule command injection via .gitmodules bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-40034-gitoxide-gix-submodule-command-injection-via-gitmodules-bypass)