CodeWhale: Argument Injection in `git_show` Tool Allows Arbitrary File Write Without Approval

### Maintainer resolution The CodeWhale maintainers validated this report. The affected package ranges are recorded in the advisory metadata. Version 0.8.64 contains the fix in commit 9a34b5034d29f05d1f28fa61b04719ca6a741020. Users should upgrade to 0.8.64 or later. The original reporter analysis is preserved below. # Argument Injection in `git_show` Tool Allows Arbitrary File Write Without Approval ## Overview The `git_show` tool in DeepSeek-TUI executes `git show` with the model-supplied `rev` parameter passed unvalidated into the argv. `git show` honours the `--output=<path>` option, so a `rev` value beginning with `--output=` is interpreted as a flag rather than a revision. The tool is registered with `ApprovalRequirement::Auto` and declares `ToolCapability::ReadOnly`, so the write happens without a user prompt and contradicts the capability the catalog advertises to the model and the user. This is the same vulnerability class as GHSA-72w5-pf8h-xfp4 (CVE-2026-45374): an auto-approved tool produces an effect outside the boundary the user consented to. ## Impact A malicious repository combined with prompt injection, the threat model already documented in CVE-2026-45311 (auto-loaded `AGENTS.md` is treated as instructions by the model) yields an unprompted arbitrary file write at the privilege of the user running DeepSeek-TUI. Useful targets reachable as the invoking user: - `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` - `~/.bashrc`, `~/.zshrc`, `~/.profile` - `~/.gitconfig` (chainable into RCE via `core.editor`) - `~/.config/**`, `~/.aws/credentials`, project source files The written content is the `git show` rendering of HEAD commit hash, author/date header, indented commit message, and (when `patch=true`) diff hunks. The commit subject, body, author identity, and diff text are entirely attacker-controlled because the attacker owns the repository HEAD. The leading `commit <hash>` line prevents clean overwrite of formats that reject unknown tokens, but is silently ignorable in files parsed as comments-or-text (crontab, dotfiles consumed by tolerant readers) and is irrelevant for the destructive/DoS sub-case (clobbering `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` locks the user out; clobbering a project file corrupts source). ## Technical Details ### Root Cause `crates/tui/src/tools/git_history.rs`: ```rust // L196-198 fn approval_requirement(&self) -> ApprovalRequirement { ApprovalRequirement::Auto } // L204-228 (excerpt) async fn execute(&self, input: Value, context: &ToolContext) -> Result<ToolResult, ToolError> { let rev = required_str(&input, "rev")?; ... let mut args = vec![ "show".to_string(), "--no-color".to_string(), "--no-ext-diff".to_string(), ]; if patch { args.push(format!("--unified={unified}")); } else { args.push("--no-patch".to_string()); } if stat { args.push("--stat".to_string()); } args.push(rev.to_string()); // unvalidated, no `--end-of-options` sentinel ... } ``` The JSON schema for `rev` is `{"type": "string"}` (L161-164) with no `pattern`, no enum, and no length cap. `required_str` performs no semantic validation. The argv has no `--end-of-options` separator between the trailing options and `rev`, so git's option parser keeps consuming flags from `rev`. The same pattern in `git_blame` (L322-388) is tracked in a separate advisory. ### Why `--output` Works `git show` shares its option parser with `git log` / `git diff`, which expose `--output=<file>`. The implementation opens the path with `O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC` and writes the formatted output there. No permission check beyond the filesystem's own running as the user is sufficient to clobber anything the user owns. ## Proof of Concept The vulnerable argv assembled by the tool when invoked with `{"rev": "--output=/home/victim/.bashrc"}` is equivalent to: ``` git show --no-color --no-ext-diff --no-patch --stat --output=/home/victim/.bashrc ``` Reproduced against system `git` as a non-root user: ``` $ id uid=1001(lowtest) gid=1001(lowtest) groups=1001(lowtest) $ cd /tmp/lp && git init -q $ echo a > a.txt && git add a.txt $ git -c user.email=a@b -c user.name=a commit -q -m "lol" $ git show --no-color --no-patch "--output=/home/lowtest/.bashrc_clobbered" HEAD $ ls -la /home/lowtest/.bashrc_clobbered -rw-rw-r-- 1 lowtest lowtest 128 May 19 07:05 /home/lowtest/.bashrc_clobbered ``` End-to-end exploitation path: - Attacker publishes a repository whose `AGENTS.md` instructs the model to call `git_show` with `rev` set to a crafted `--output=` string targeting a file in the victim's home directory. The same auto-load pathway documented in CVE-2026-45311 applies. - Victim opens the repository in DeepSeek-TUI and issues any prompt that exercises the agent loop. - The model issues the tool call. Because `approval_requirement()` returns `Auto`, no approval UI is shown. - `git show --output=<path>` overwrites the target file with attacker-controlled commit metadata and diff text. ## Remediation Two changes in `crates/tui/src/tools/git_history.rs`: Insert an end-of-options sentinel before `rev` so git stops parsing flags: ```rust args.push("--end-of-options".to_string()); args.push(rev.to_string()); ``` Reject `rev` values that begin with `-` (or restrict to a revision-shape regex `^[A-Za-z0-9._/^~@:{}-]+$` after the leading character check): ```rust if rev.starts_with('-') { return Err(ToolError::invalid_input("rev must not start with '-'")); } ``` A regression test mirroring `run_tests_requires_user_approval` (`test_runner.rs:197`) should assert that `rev = "--output=/tmp/x"` is rejected.

Source published

4 Sep 2026 18:02:37 UTC

Source modified

4 Sep 2026 19:00:04 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:17:17 UTC

Source terms

GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0

Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON

This view projects the publisher's source fields for reading; the original JSON retains additional fields and CVE enrichment containers. Attribution: osv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.

CVSS_V3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H

CVSS_V4 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:H/SA:H

Publisher rating · HIGH