Review reviewHigh

CVE-2026-40034

gitoxide gitoxide, gix-submodule, gix

gix-submodule before 0.29.0 (gitoxide before 0.5.21, gix before 0.84.0) incorrectly validates the update field in .gitmodules, allowing attackers to bypass the CommandForbiddenInModulesConfiguration guard when a submodule has been initialized with only partial configuration in .git/config. An attacker can inject arbitrary shell commands via the update field in .gitmodules that will be executed when Submodule::update() is called on a previously-initialized submodule, enabling remote code execution.

CVSS: 8.5
EPSS: 0.35%
CISA KEV: Not listed
Published: 2026.05.27

PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Review review

The CVSS severity warrants an early asset and exposure review.

Known exploitationNot established by KEV

Exploit probability0.35%

Technical severityCVSS 8.5

Vulnerability overview

Affected product and versions

Product: gitoxide gitoxide, gix-submodule, gix
Affected versions: < 0.5.21, < 0.29.0, < 0.84.0
Fixed versions: No verified fixed-version field is available yet

Recommended response sequence

Confirm exposure before applying a vendor-supported change.

Full remediation guide

1
Identify
Confirm that gitoxide gitoxide, gix-submodule, gix and an affected version are present.
2
Prioritize
Combine exploitation signals with asset exposure and business criticality.
3
Remediate
Follow the vendor advisory or supported update path and preserve rollback options.
4
Verify
Recheck the version, service health, access paths, and relevant logs.

Technical data

CVSS vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
CWE: CWE-77