GitPython is a python library used to interact with Git repositories. Prior to version 3.1.47, _clone() validates multi_options as the original list, then executes shlex.split(" ".join(multi_options)). A string like "--branch main --config core.hooksPath=/x" passes validation (starts with --branch), but after split becomes ["--branch", "main", "--config", "core.hooksPath=/x"]. Git applies the config and executes attacker hooks during clone. This issue has been patched in version 3.1.47.

The remote Ubuntu 14.04 LTS / 16.04 LTS / 18.04 LTS / 20.04 LTS / 22.04 LTS / 24.04 LTS / 26.04 LTS host has packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the USN-8303-1 advisory.

    Santos Gallegos discovered that GitPython did not properly validate paths when resolving certain Git     references. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause files outside the .git directory to be     accessed, leading to a denial of service. This issue only affected Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS,     Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. (CVE-2023-41040)

    Wes Ring discovered that GitPython did not properly block certain unsafe Git options when they were     provided as Python keyword arguments. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause arbitrary command     execution. (CVE-2026-42215)

    It was discovered that GitPython did not properly validate clone options before processing them. An     attacker could possibly use this issue to inject unsafe Git configuration, leading to arbitrary command     execution through Git hooks. This issue only affected Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Ubuntu 24.04     LTS, and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. (CVE-2026-42284)

    It was discovered that GitPython did not properly validate reference paths during reference operations. An     attacker could possibly use this issue to write, overwrite, move, or delete files outside the repository.
    (CVE-2026-44243)

    Dan Aridor discovered that GitPython did not properly validate configuration values before writing them to     Git configuration files. An attacker could possibly use this issue to inject unsafe Git configuration,     leading to arbitrary command execution through Git hooks. (CVE-2026-44244)

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory.

Note that Nessus has not tested for these issues but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

There are packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities referenced in the following CVEs:

  - GitPython is a python library used to interact with Git repositories. From version 3.1.30 to before
    version 3.1.47, GitPython blocks dangerous Git options such as --upload-pack and --receive-pack by
    default, but the equivalent Python kwargs upload_pack and receive_pack bypass that check. If an
    application passes attacker-controlled kwargs into Repo.clone_from(), Remote.fetch(), Remote.pull(), or
    Remote.push(), this leads to arbitrary command execution even when allow_unsafe_options is left at its
    default value of False. This issue has been patched in version 3.1.47. (CVE-2026-42215)

  - GitPython is a python library used to interact with Git repositories. Prior to version 3.1.47, _clone()
    validates multi_options as the original list, then executes shlex.split(" ".join(multi_options)). A string
    like "--branch main --config core.hooksPath=/x" passes validation (starts with --branch), but after split
    becomes ["--branch", "main", "--config", "core.hooksPath=/x"]. Git applies the config and executes
    attacker hooks during clone. This issue has been patched in version 3.1.47. (CVE-2026-42284)

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

  - GitPython is a python library used to interact with Git repositories. Prior to version 3.1.47, _clone()     validates multi_options as the original list, then executes shlex.split( .join(multi_options)). A string     like --branch main --config core.hooksPath=/x passes validation (starts with --branch), but after split     becomes [--branch, main, --config, core.hooksPath=/x]. Git applies the config and executes     attacker hooks during clone. This issue has been patched in version 3.1.47. (CVE-2026-42284)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

There are packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability referenced in the following CVE:

  - GitPython is a python library used to interact with Git repositories. Prior to version 3.1.47, _clone()
    validates multi_options as the original list, then executes shlex.split(" ".join(multi_options)). A string
    like "--branch main --config core.hooksPath=/x" passes validation (starts with --branch), but after split
    becomes ["--branch", "main", "--config", "core.hooksPath=/x"]. Git applies the config and executes
    attacker hooks during clone. This issue has been patched in version 3.1.47. (CVE-2026-42284)

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
317096	Ubuntu 14.04 LTS / 16.04 LTS / 18.04 LTS / 20.04 LTS / 22.04 LTS / 24.04 LTS / 26.04 LTS : GitPython vulnerabilities (USN-8303-1)	Nessus	Ubuntu Local Security Checks	high
441048	Alpine: multiple py3-gitpython packages: security update to 3.1.49-r0	Tenable Cloud Security	Alpine Linux Local Security Checks	critical
441048	Alpine: multiple py3-gitpython packages: security update to 3.1.49-r0	Tenable Self-Hosted Container Security	Alpine Linux Local Security Checks	critical
310998	Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-42284	Nessus	Misc.	critical
440901	SCA: security update for GitPython (GHSA-x2qx-6953-8485)	Tenable Cloud Security	SCA Checks	critical
440901	SCA: security update for GitPython (GHSA-x2qx-6953-8485)	Tenable Self-Hosted Container Security	SCA Checks	critical

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2026-42284

critical

Tenable Plugins

high

critical

critical

critical

critical

critical