gitoxide before 0.52.1 follows symlinks when parsing the worktree .gitmodules file. An attacker can create a malicious repository that contains a symlinked .gitmodules file pointing outside the repository tree, allowing gitoxide to read arbitrary external files as submodule configuration. The attacker thereby controls the reported name, path, and url fields for submodules, which can be used to inject malicious configuration, redirect to malicious URLs, or otherwise compromise downstream consumers of the repository. The weakness falls under CWE-59, a directory traversal vulnerability. This can lead to confusion about the true origin of submodules and may facilitate further attacks such as supply‑chain compromise or unauthorized data disclosure within the context of the repository.

The affected product is Gitoxide from GitoxideLabs. All versions of gitoxide prior to 0.52.1 are vulnerable because they read symlinked .gitmodules without verifying the path remains within the repository. Users of any earlier gitoxide releases should identify the precise version in use and confirm it is below 0.52.1 to determine relevance.

The CVSS score of 8.7 indicates a high severity with a potential for significant impact if exploited. No EPSS score is available, so the current probability of exploitation cannot be quantified, but the absence of a KEV listing does not diminish the inherent risk. The likely attack vector requires an attacker to supply a crafted repository—either by hosting a malicious clone or by providing a pull or fetch operation that processes a repository containing the symlinked .gitmodules. Once the repository is processed by a vulnerable gitoxide instance, the attacker can influence the submodule metadata that is subsequently used by downstream tooling or applications.