HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-21237

HIGH

CVE-2021-21237

CWE-426Published: January 15, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Git LFS is a command line extension for managing large files with Git. On Windows, if Git LFS operates on a malicious repository with a git.bat or git.exe file in the current directory, that program would be executed, permitting the attacker to execute arbitrary code. This does not affect Unix systems. This is the result of an incomplete fix for CVE-2020-27955. This issue occurs because on Windows, Go includes (and prefers) the current directory when the name of a command run does not contain a directory separator. Other than avoiding untrusted repositories or using a different operating system, there is no workaround. This is fixed in v2.13.2.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-21237 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorLocal

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.Low

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

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

Affected Vendors & Products

git_large_file_storage_project1 product(s)

git large file storage

Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/commit/fc664697ed2c2081ee9633010de0a7f9debea72a

PATCHhttps://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/commit/fc664697ed2c2081ee9633010de0a7f9debea72a

ADVISORYhttps://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2020-27955

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/releases/tag/v2.13.2

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/security/advisories/GHSA-cx3w-xqmc-84g5

ADVISORYhttps://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2020-27955

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/releases/tag/v2.13.2

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/security/advisories/GHSA-cx3w-xqmc-84g5

All References (8)

→

https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2020-27955Third Party Advisory

→

https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/commit/fc664697ed2c2081ee9633010de0a7f9debea72aPatch · Third Party Advisory

→

https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/releases/tag/v2.13.2Third Party Advisory

→

https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/security/advisories/GHSA-cx3w-xqmc-84g5Third Party Advisory

→

https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2020-27955Third Party Advisory

→

https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/commit/fc664697ed2c2081ee9633010de0a7f9debea72aPatch · Third Party Advisory

→

https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/releases/tag/v2.13.2Third Party Advisory

→

https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/security/advisories/GHSA-cx3w-xqmc-84g5Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-21237

CVSS Score7.8 / 10

SeverityHIGH

WeaknessCWE-426

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedJan 15, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-426)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2021-21237 in threat intel feeds
→Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts

Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

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