dbcve.org
Path TraversalWeakness · CWE-22

CVE-2026-52726

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Dulwich is a pure-Python implementation of the Git file formats and protocols. Starting in version 0.23.2 and prior to version 1.2.5, `dulwich.porcelain.submodule_update`, and by extension `porcelain.clone(..., recurse_submodules=True)`, materializes attacker-controlled submodule paths from a crafted upstream repository without path validation. A malicious `.gitmodules` plus a matching tree gitlink whose `path` is `.git/hooks` (or any other directory inside the parent repository's `.git` directory) causes the attacker's submodule tree contents to be written directly into the victim's `.git/hooks/` directory, preserving executable mode bits. The dropped executables are then run by any subsequent `git` or `dulwich` command that invokes the matching hook, resulting in arbitrary code execution. This is the dulwich equivalent of the upstream Git fixes for CVE-2024-32002 / CVE-2024-32004, which were never propagated into dulwich's separately implemented submodule porcelain. Version 1.2.5 patches the issue.

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

Dulwich's submodule_update function materializes submodule paths from crafted repositories without validating them, allowing an attacker to specify `.git/hooks` (or any `.git` subdirectory) as the submodule path. Combined with a malicious `.gitmodules` and matching tree gitlink, this writes attacker-controlled content directly into the victim's `.git/hooks/` directory with executable permissions, enabling arbitrary code execution when hooks are invoked.

MitigationUpgrade to dulwich version 1.2.5 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, avoid using `clone()` with `recurse_submodules=True` or `submodule_update()` on untrusted repositories.

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

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

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. Identify Dulwich installation
    Run 'pip show dulwich' or 'pip list | grep dulwich' to confirm Dulwich is installed
    Affected if Dulwich is not installed - the vulnerability does not apply
  2. Check Dulwich version
    Run 'pip show dulwich' and note the Version field, then compare against the fixed version 1.2.5
    Affected if Installed version is lower than 1.2.5
  3. Identify code using vulnerable functions
    Search project source code for calls to 'clone' with 'recurse_submodules=True' parameter, or direct calls to 'submodule_update' function
    Affected if Code uses clone with recurse_submodules=True or calls submodule_update on repositories
  4. Assess repository trust
    Review which repositories are being cloned/submodule-updated - check if any are from untrusted or user-controlled sources
    Affected if Cloning or updating submodules from untrusted repositories with recurse_submodules=True
  5. Inspect .git/hooks for unexpected content
    After a clone with submodules, list contents of .git/hooks/ directory and check for files not intentionally added
    Affected if Unexpected executable files appear in .git/hooks/ that were not placed there intentionally

User is affected if running Dulwich versions below 1.2.5 and using clone with recurse_submodules=True or submodule_update on potentially untrusted repositories

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to dulwich version 1.2.5 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, avoid using `clone()` with `recurse_submodules=True` or `submodule_update()` on untrusted repositories.

Recommended fix High confidence

1.2.5

  1. Upgrade dulwich to version 1.2.5 or later using your package manager (e.g., pip install dulwich>=1.2.5)

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,580
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,128.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-52726 — 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-2026-52726 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