CVE-2024-47516: Pagure RCE Vulnerability via Git Injection

CVE-2024-47516 Overview

A critical argument injection vulnerability has been discovered in Pagure, a popular Git-centered forge software. This vulnerability exists in the Git integration component during retrieval of repository history, allowing attackers to inject malicious arguments that lead to remote code execution on affected Pagure instances. The flaw enables unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying server through carefully crafted Git operations.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote code execution through argument injection in Git history retrieval enables complete system compromise of Pagure instances.

Affected Products

• Pagure (versions affected - refer to vendor advisory for specifics)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-26 - CVE-2024-47516 published to NVD
• 2025-03-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-47516

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-88 (Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command), commonly known as Argument Injection. The flaw occurs when Pagure processes user-supplied input during Git repository history retrieval operations without properly sanitizing or validating the arguments passed to the underlying Git commands.

When a user requests repository history through the Pagure web interface or API, the application constructs Git commands dynamically. An attacker can craft malicious input that, when incorporated into these Git commands, introduces additional arguments or modifies the command's behavior. Since Git supports various command-line options that can execute arbitrary code (such as --upload-pack, --exec, or configuration options that invoke external programs), this argument injection can be leveraged to achieve remote code execution.

The network-accessible nature of Pagure instances, combined with the lack of authentication requirements to trigger this vulnerability, makes it particularly dangerous for public-facing deployments.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and improper handling of user-controlled data when constructing Git command-line arguments. Pagure fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters and argument delimiters before passing user input to Git subprocess calls. This allows attackers to break out of the intended argument context and inject additional malicious arguments that Git will interpret and execute.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Identifying a Pagure instance accessible over the network
2. Crafting a malicious request to the repository history retrieval endpoint
3. Including specially crafted input that contains argument injection payloads
4. The injected arguments cause Git to execute attacker-controlled commands on the server

The vulnerability can be exploited by manipulating parameters in API requests or web interface interactions that trigger Git history operations. Since Pagure runs with the privileges of the web application user, successful exploitation grants the attacker command execution with those same privileges, potentially allowing lateral movement, data exfiltration, or further system compromise.

For technical details on the vulnerability mechanism, refer to the Red Hat CVE-2024-47516 Advisory and Red Hat Bug Report #2315805.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-47516

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual Git process spawning with unexpected command-line arguments
• Web server logs containing suspicious characters or argument patterns in repository history requests
• Unexpected child processes spawned by the Pagure application user
• Network connections initiated from the Pagure server to unusual destinations

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Pagure access logs for requests containing special characters such as --, semicolons, or shell metacharacters in repository path parameters
• Implement process monitoring to detect Git commands with unusual or unexpected arguments
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) configured to detect argument injection patterns
• Enable audit logging for command execution on systems running Pagure

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for anomalous process creation under the Pagure service account
• Implement network egress monitoring to detect potential reverse shell connections or data exfiltration
• Review Pagure application logs regularly for failed or malformed requests that may indicate reconnaissance activity
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for post-exploitation activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-47516

Immediate Actions Required

• Consult the Red Hat CVE-2024-47516 Advisory for available patches and update to the latest Pagure version
• Restrict network access to Pagure instances to trusted networks or implement additional authentication layers
• Enable enhanced logging and monitoring on Pagure servers to detect exploitation attempts
• Consider temporarily disabling public access to repository history features if patches are not immediately available

Patch Information

Administrators should monitor the official Pagure project and distribution channels for security updates addressing this vulnerability. The Red Hat Bug Report #2315805 provides tracking information for Red Hat-based distributions. Apply vendor-provided patches as soon as they become available and test in a staging environment before production deployment.

Workarounds

• Implement a reverse proxy with strict input validation rules to filter potentially malicious requests before they reach Pagure
• Use network segmentation to isolate Pagure instances from critical infrastructure
• Deploy application-level firewalls to block requests containing argument injection patterns
• Restrict repository access to authenticated users only until patches can be applied

# Example: Restrict access to Pagure using firewall rules
# Limit access to trusted IP ranges while awaiting patches
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5000 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5000 -j DROP