CVE-2026-5917 — libgit2 versions v0.27.0 through v1.9.0 built with the libssh2 SSH backend…¶

Key facts

CVE-2026-5917 is a Critical (9.6) vulnerability: libgit2 versions v0.27.0 through v1.9.0 built with the libssh2 SSH backend…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab.


CVE	CVE-2026-5917
Severity	Critical (9.6)
Detection / prevention	—
PoC	poc.py
Source	2026/CVE-2026-5917/

Details¶

English | 한국어

Description¶

libgit2 versions v0.27.0 through v1.9.0 built with the libssh2 SSH backend (USE_SSH=libssh2) contain a shell command injection vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on an SSH server by supplying a repository path containing unescaped shell metacharacters such as single quotes, semicolons, or pipes. The gen_proto() function in ssh_libssh2.c inserts the repository path directly into a shell command string without escaping special characters before passing it to libssh2_channel_exec(), enabling an attacker to craft a malicious submodule URL in a .gitmodules file that, when processed during a recursive clone, causes the remote server's shell to interpret injected commands under the victim's SSH user account.

Vulnerability Details¶

Property	Value
CVE ID	CVE-2026-5917
Type	RCE
CVSS Score	9.6

Proof of Concept¶

Download¶

# Download PoC script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fankh/vulnerability-poc/main/2026/CVE-2026-5917/poc.py

Usage¶

# Run PoC against target
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL>

# With authentication
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL> --username <USER> --password <PASS>

⚠️ Warning: This PoC is for authorized security testing only. It uses detection-only techniques and does not exploit or damage target systems.

Test Lab¶

This repository includes a Docker-based test environment with both vulnerable and patched applications.

Quick Start¶

# Clone and navigate to CVE directory
cd CVE-2026-5917

# Start both applications
docker-compose up -d

# Run tests
./run-tests.sh    # Linux/Mac
./run-tests.ps1   # Windows PowerShell

Application Endpoints¶

Application	URL	Status
Vulnerable App	http://localhost:8080	Shows vulnerability
Patched App	http://localhost:8081	Demonstrates fix

Directory Structure¶

├── README.md           # English documentation
├── README_KO.md        # Korean documentation
├── poc.py              # PoC detection script
├── docker-compose.yml  # Container orchestration
├── run-tests.sh        # Linux/Mac test runner
├── run-tests.ps1       # Windows test runner
├── vulnerable-app/     # Vulnerable version
│   ├── app.py
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── requirements.txt
└── patched-app/        # Fixed version
    ├── app.py
    ├── Dockerfile
    └── requirements.txt

References¶

https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/libgit2-shell-command-injection-via-ssh-libssh2-backend

Generated by PoC Generator on 2026-08-12T08:40:35.852085315

Frequently asked questions¶

What is CVE-2026-5917?¶

CVE-2026-5917 is a Critical (9.6) vulnerability: libgit2 versions v0.27.0 through v1.9.0 built with the libssh2 SSH backend…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab.

How do I detect CVE-2026-5917?¶

Run the detection-only PoC included with this entry against your Docker test lab to confirm whether a target is affected; pair it with your own IDS logging.

How do I block or mitigate CVE-2026-5917?¶

Upgrade to a fixed version per the vendor advisory; the NVD record lists the affected versions. Use the included PoC to verify your remediation.

For authorized security testing and research only. See the full source and NVD record.