CVE-2025-64111: Gogs Git Service RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-64111 Overview

CVE-2025-64111 is a critical command injection vulnerability affecting Gogs, a popular open source self-hosted Git service. This vulnerability exists due to an insufficient patch for CVE-2024-56731, allowing attackers to update files in the .git directory and achieve remote command execution. The incomplete fix in prior versions left a bypass path that threat actors can exploit to gain unauthorized access to affected systems.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability enables unauthenticated remote command execution on Gogs instances by manipulating files in the .git directory, potentially allowing complete system compromise.

Affected Products

• Gogs version 0.13.3 and prior versions
• All Gogs installations with exposed Git service interfaces
• Self-hosted Git services running unpatched Gogs versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-06 - CVE-2025-64111 published to NVD
• 2026-02-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-64111

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), commonly known as OS Command Injection. The flaw stems from an incomplete security patch that was intended to address CVE-2024-56731. Despite the previous remediation efforts, attackers can still manipulate files within the .git directory structure to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system.

The attack can be executed over the network without requiring user interaction or authentication, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible Gogs instances. Successful exploitation grants attackers the ability to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the Gogs service account, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within the network.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient input validation and sanitization when handling file operations within the .git directory. The original fix for CVE-2024-56731 did not adequately address all possible attack vectors, leaving a bypass mechanism that allows malicious actors to write to sensitive Git configuration files. These files can then be leveraged to execute arbitrary commands when certain Git operations are triggered.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can remotely target exposed Gogs instances by crafting specially designed requests that manipulate files in the .git directory. Once malicious content is injected into Git hooks or configuration files, subsequent Git operations trigger the execution of attacker-controlled commands.

The vulnerability exploitation typically follows this pattern:

1. Attacker identifies a vulnerable Gogs instance accessible over the network
2. Attacker crafts a malicious request to write or modify files within the .git directory
3. The injected content targets Git hooks (such as post-receive or pre-commit) or Git configuration files
4. When Git operations are triggered, the malicious payload executes with the privileges of the Gogs service

For detailed technical information about the exploitation mechanism, see the GitHub Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-64111

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to files within .git directories, particularly Git hooks
• Unusual process spawning from the Gogs service account
• Unauthorized network connections originating from Gogs server processes
• Suspicious entries in Git configuration files containing shell commands

Detection Strategies

• Monitor file system changes to .git/hooks and .git/config files for unauthorized modifications
• Implement application-level logging to track all file write operations to sensitive directories
• Deploy network intrusion detection rules to identify exploitation attempts targeting Gogs instances
• Review Gogs access logs for anomalous requests attempting to access or modify .git directory contents

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for the Gogs application and regularly review logs for suspicious activity
• Implement file integrity monitoring (FIM) on all Git repository directories, particularly .git subdirectories
• Set up alerts for any command execution originating from Gogs processes that deviates from normal behavior patterns
• Monitor outbound network connections from Gogs servers to detect potential data exfiltration or C2 communication

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-64111

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Gogs to version 0.13.4 or 0.14.0+dev immediately to apply the security patch
• Restrict network access to Gogs instances using firewall rules until patching is complete
• Audit existing Git repositories for unauthorized modifications to .git directory contents
• Review server logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been addressed in Gogs versions 0.13.4 and 0.14.0+dev. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to these patched versions as soon as possible. The patch properly addresses the incomplete fix from CVE-2024-56731 by implementing comprehensive input validation and restricting file operations within the .git directory. For detailed patch information, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory.

Workarounds

• Implement strict network segmentation to limit access to Gogs instances from trusted networks only
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to block requests attempting to access or modify .git directories
• Consider temporarily disabling public access to Gogs instances until patches can be applied
• Implement filesystem-level protections to prevent unauthorized writes to .git directories

# Example: Restrict network access to Gogs using iptables
# Allow access only from trusted internal network
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3000 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3000 -j DROP

# Set restrictive permissions on .git directories (requires root)
find /path/to/gogs-repositories -name ".git" -type d -exec chmod 700 {} \;