Git's Silent Takeover: How a Simple Clone Command Can Compromise Your Entire System

In the world of software development, Git is the undisputed foundation of version control, a tool so integral and trusted that its security is often taken for granted. However, a recently discovered high-severity vulnerability, CVE-2025-48384, shatters this perception. This flaw, which is actively being exploited in the wild and has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, allows attackers to turn an extensively used routine git clone --recursive command into a weapon for arbitrary file writes, leading to a full system compromise. This is particularly dangerous in automated CI/CD pipelines, which routinely clone repositories.  

The issue comes from Git removing trailing carriage return (CR) characters when reading configuration values and not properly quoting them when writing. If a submodule path ends with a CR, the modified path may cause Git to place the submodule in an unexpected location. When this behavior is paired with a symlink targeting the submodule hooks directory and a malicious post-checkout hook, cloning a repository can trigger unintended code execution. 

This post breaks down how this attack works, it’s devastating potential, and demonstrates how InvisiRisk's Build Application Firewall (BAF) provides a crucial, proactive defense by preventing the use of vulnerable GIT versions before they can be exploited. 

The Attack: A Carriage Return with Malicious Consequences 

The root of CVE-2025-48384 lies in how Git interprets submodule paths when cloning with the --recursive flag. The flaw comes from a mismatch in how Git reads and writes configuration values that contain carriage return (\r) characters. Attackers have discovered how to twist this quirk into a reliable exploit. 

Here’s the breakdown: 

The Bait: An attacker publishes a normal-looking Git repository. To the naked eye, it looks like a regular project with submodules. 

The Hidden Trap: Inside the repository, the .gitmodules file contains a malicious submodule entry. Unlike a typical entry, the path field ends with a hidden carriage return character. 

The Misdirection: When Git parses this entry, it strips the carriage return during reads but fails to quote it when writing back internally. This subtle inconsistency lets the attacker trick Git into writing submodule content to an unexpected filesystem location. 

The Trigger: A developer or CI/CD system runs the common command: git clone --recursive <attacker-repository-url> 

The Compromise: Git, following the malformed configuration, writes files outside of the intended repository. With clever setup (such as a symlink into .git/hooks/), the attacker can drop a malicious Git hook script. Once cloned, any routine Git action like git commit or git merge will silently execute attacker-controlled code. 

The exploit requires nothing more than an unsuspecting user cloning what appears to be an ordinary repository. 

Proof of Concept: From Carriage Return to Control 

To illustrate the impact, consider this safe proof-of-concept scenario on the base of a technical PoC: 

An attacker configures their .gitmodules file like: 

Figure: Benign .gitmodules on the malicious repo. 

In addition, they prepare a symlink to redirect where Git writes the submodule and a benign script: 

Figure: Benign post-checkout module on the redirect malicious repo.

When a victim runs: 

git clone --recursive https://github.com/acheong08/CVE-2025-48384 

Git misinterprets the submodule path, follows the symlink, and ends up placing fishsucks into /tmp/. 

Figure: Compromised file on /tmp using the vulnerable GIT version. 

In this benign demonstration, the file is written to /tmp; however, in a real attack, the same primitive could write into .git/hooks/ to achieve remote code execution, or overwrite configuration files like ~/.ssh/authorized_keys to establish persistence. 

How InvisiRisk BAF Prevents the Unthinkable 

Traditional security tools like static code scanners often miss this threat because the malicious instruction isn’t in a piece of executable code, it’s hidden within a configuration file and weaponized by the tool executing it. This is where a proactive, runtime defense becomes essential. InvisiRisk BAF secures the build process itself, not just the code within it. 

Proactive Policy Enforcement: When a build process protected by InvisiRisk BAF’s custom made policy begins, it checks the versions of policy enforced tools being used. If the CI/CD pipeline attempts to use a version of Git known to be vulnerable to CVE-2025-48384, the policy immediately triggers. At InvisiRisk, we recognize that security threats are constantly evolving. That’s why our Build Application Firewall (BAF) comes with robust default policies to defend your applications against a wide range of vulnerabilities. At the same time, we give you the flexibility to define custom rules that match your unique requirements. A great example is the vulnerable GIT version detection policy, created with the powerful Rego language, which showcases how this adaptability can protect your entire development pipeline. 

Figure: InvisiRisk BAF taking action on vulnerable GIT version.

Halting the Attack Before It Starts: BAF intervenes and halts the build before the malicious git clone command can be fully executed. This prevents the arbitrary file write and neutralizes the threat completely. The build fails safely, and an alert is sent to the team detailing the vulnerable tool and the specific policy that blocked it.    

The Outcome Is Simple: The attack is stopped cold. Your build environment remains secure, and your software supply chain is protected from being compromised. 

Key Takeaways 

The discovery of CVE-2025-48384 serves as a powerful reminder of several critical security principles: 

Trust is a Vulnerability: Even the most fundamental and trusted developer tools can be turned into attack vectors. 

Automation Magnifies Risk: CI/CD pipelines are prime targets. Their automated nature can propagate a compromise with terrifying speed and scale if not properly secured. 

Proactive Prevention is Paramount: Relying on reactive scanning after the fact is insufficient. Security must be embedded directly into the build process to block threats in real time. 

InvisiRisk BAF provides this essential layer of proactive defense. By acting as a firewall for your build pipeline, it ensures that not only your code is secure, but the very tools used to build it are safe, preventing exploits like CVE-2025-48384 from ever gaining a foothold. 

Don't let your most trusted tools become your biggest security blind spot. Learn more about how InvisiRisk BAF can fortify your software supply chain.