nbdime · GitPython: TagReference.create positional reference bypasses kwargs-only --file guard, enabling arbitrary file read
Affects nbdimeSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High : upgrade to 4.0.4_8 soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:28 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 24% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 4.0.4_8
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade nbdime to 4.0.4_8.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Homebrewnbdimepkg:brew/nbdimeOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A patch is available in GitPython version 4.0.4_8 that properly includes positional arguments in the unsafe option checks or places a '--' separator before positional arguments to prevent option injection. Users should upgrade to version 4.0.4_8 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Until patched, avoid passing user-controlled values as positional 'reference' arguments to TagReference.create().
Description
GitPython versions up to 3.1.58 contain a vulnerability in the TagReference.create() method where a positional 'reference' argument can bypass the unsafe option guard for '--file', allowing an attacker to read arbitrary local files. This occurs because the guard only inspects keyword arguments, not positional ones, enabling an attacker to supply '--file=<path>' as a positional reference. The file contents are returned in the annotated tag message. A fix is available in version 4.0.4_8.
References
- github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/security/advisories/GHSA-3wxw-xv34-2frg (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-78679 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/pull/2208 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/commit/1b0d2d9b91575f7db44ef4ff58ac37fc9335e5f6 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/releases/tag/3.1.59 (opens in a new tab)
- vulncheck.com/advisories/gitpython-before-arbitrary-file-read-via-tagreference-create (opens in a new tab)