dbcve.org
Git ExtrasApplication · Git Extras Project

CVE-2012-6114

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-01-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The git-changelog utility in git-extras 1.7.0 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on (1) /tmp/changelog or (2) /tmp/.git-effort.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The git-changelog utility in git-extras 1.7.0 creates files in /tmp without proper symlink protection, allowing local users to overwrite arbitrary files by pre-creating symlinks at /tmp/changelog or /tmp/.git-effort pointing to target files. When the utility runs, it follows the symlink and writes to the attacker's chosen location.

MitigationUse safe file creation methods such as O_EXCL flag or mkstemp() when writing to /tmp, and verify the file is not a symlink before writing. Alternatively, avoid using predictable /tmp filenames and use securely generated temporary files.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Git ExtrasApplication
Affected:= 1.7.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if git-extras is installed and identify its version
    Run 'git-extras --version' or check your package manager for the installed git-extras version
    Affected if The installed version is 1.7.0 exactly, as this is the only affected version per the CVE details
  2. Verify the git-changelog utility exists
    Run 'which git-changelog' or check if git-changelog is available in your PATH
    Affected if git-changelog exists and the version check above shows 1.7.0, confirming the vulnerable binary is present
  3. Inspect /tmp for pre-existing symlinks to changelog
    Run 'ls -la /tmp/changelog /tmp/.git-effort 2>/dev/null' to check if these files exist and what type they are
    Affected if Either /tmp/changelog or /tmp/.git-effort exists as a symlink (shown by 'l' prefix in ls -la output), indicating active exploitation of this vulnerability
  4. Examine the git-changelog source code for unsafe /tmp usage
    Locate the git-changelog script (typically in /usr/bin/git-changelog or via 'type git-changelog') and search for file writes to /tmp without O_EXCL or mkstemp()
    Affected if The script writes to /tmp/changelog or /tmp/.git-effort without using O_EXCL, mkstemp(), or symlink checks, confirming the vulnerable code pattern exists

You are affected if git-extras version 1.7.0 is installed and the git-changelog utility uses unsafe /tmp file creation, or if symlinks already exist in /tmp pointing to the vulnerable filenames.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Use safe file creation methods such as O_EXCL flag or mkstemp() when writing to /tmp, and verify the file is not a symlink before writing. Alternatively, avoid using predictable /tmp filenames and use securely generated temporary files.

Fix this in Git Extras Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-6114 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-6114 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data