CVE-2026-71556 — go-git: Worktree operations may follow symlinks
go-git is an extensible git implementation library written in pure Go. Prior to 5.19.2 and 6.0.0-alpha.5, worktree operations (including checkout, status, and add) resolve symbolic links inside the working tree without confining resolution to the worktree boundary, so a maliciously crafted repository containing a symlink can cause go-git to read from or write to files outside the intended working directory when the repository is cloned and its worktree operations are used. Versions 5.19.2 and 6.0.0-alpha.5.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Go-git Go-git).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (file handling), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 4.2 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Monitor file creation in web directories and paths with traversal sequences (../).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · go-git/go-git
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.1
- Source status changed · → Awaiting Analysis
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
5 on the record
- github.com/go-git/go-git/releases/tag/v5.19.2
- github.com/go-git/go-git/commit/008a78f2dd86f52544ddff8b8e8ddeecdf3f7aab
- github.com/go-git/go-git/security/advisories/GHSA-hc8v-wwc9-vgxm
- github.com/go-git/go-git/commit/661d1c7f101d34e002a3cfcf8dbea5b7421d07ac
- github.com/go-git/go-git/releases/tag/v6.0.0-alpha.5
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-71557 go-git: Malicious reference names may modify files outside the reference storage Aug 7, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-45570 go-git: Improper single-quote escaping in go-git SSH transport May 27, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-45571 go-git: Crafted repositories may modify main and submodule .git directories May 27, 2026
- High CVE-2026-45022 go-git: Improper parsing of specially crafted objects may lead to inconsistent interpretation compared to upstream Git May 27, 2026
- High CVE-2026-41506 go-git Credential leak via cross-host redirect in smart HTTP transport May 8, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-34165 go-git: Maliciously crafted idx file can cause asymmetric memory consumption Mar 31, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No FIRST EPSS score.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-71556 is "go-git: Worktree operations may follow symlinks", rated High. It affects Go-git (Go-git); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.1 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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