VulnerabilityPublished 22 May 2024Updated 9 Nov 2026

CVE-2024-35197: Gix ref · Refs and paths with reserved Windows device names access the devices

Affects gix-refSource GCVE Database

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.4 Medium : upgrade to 0.44.0 when convenient.

Data as of 9 Nov 2026, 11:32 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.4Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 39% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 0.44.0

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: Low
Availability: Low

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the impacted component are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 22 May 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 9 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade gix-ref to 0.44.0.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
crates.iogix-ref`pkg:cargo/gix-ref`Other threats	Affected >=0.0.0-0 <0.44.0	Fixed in 0.44.0

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A fix is available in gix-ref version 0.44.0. Users and administrators should upgrade to this version to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. No additional mitigation actions are required beyond applying the official fix.

Description

CVE-2024-35197 affects the gix-ref Git library on Windows systems, where references or file paths that match legacy Windows device names (e.g., CON, CONIN$, CONOUT$, COM1) can cause unintended device access. Cloning a malicious repository with such names can lead to indefinite blocking by reading from the console device or writing arbitrary attacker-controlled data to devices like the console or serial ports. This can result in denial of service or deceptive console messages that may facilitate social engineering. The vulnerability is fixed in gix-ref version 0.44.0.

Impact

An attacker can craft a Git repository that, when cloned on Windows using gix-ref versions before 0.44.0, causes the cloning process to block indefinitely by reading from console devices, resulting in denial of service. Additionally, writing files named after reserved device names can output arbitrary attacker-controlled messages to the console, potentially misleading users and facilitating social engineering. There is also potential disruption or interaction with serial ports, which may affect device operation. No data confidentiality loss is confirmed, but integrity and availability impacts exist.

Summary

On Windows, gix-ref does not properly handle references or paths that clash with reserved legacy device names. When cloning a repository containing refs named after devices like CON or CONIN$, gix-ref reads from these devices, potentially blocking indefinitely on console input. When checking out files named after such devices (e.g., CON, CONOUT$), gix-worktree-state writes arbitrary data to these devices, allowing an attacker to produce misleading console output or interfere with serial ports. This behavior can cause denial of service or social engineering risks. The issue is resolved in gix-ref 0.44.0.

References

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