---
id: CVE-2023-25815
title: Git looks for localized messages in the wrong place
summary: >-
  In Git for Windows, the Windows port of Git, no localized messages are shipped
  with the installer. As a consequence, Git is expected not to localize messages
  at all, and skips the gettext initialization. However, due to a change in
  MINGW…
severity: low
cvss: 3.3
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-22
  - CWE-134
vendor: git-for-windows
product: git
affected:
  - git < 2.40.1
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-02T22:31:22.231531Z'
published: '2023-04-25'
updated: '2026-11-02'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-02T22:31:41.007Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-25815'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/security/advisories/GHSA-9w66-8mq8-5vm8
    label: >-
      https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/security/advisories/GHSA-9w66-8mq8-5vm8
  - url: 'https://github.com/msys2/MINGW-packages/pull/10461'
    label: 'https://github.com/msys2/MINGW-packages/pull/10461'
  - url: >-
      https://axcheron.github.io/exploit-101-format-strings/#writing-to-the-stack
    label: >-
      https://axcheron.github.io/exploit-101-format-strings/#writing-to-the-stack
  - url: 'https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/tag/v2.40.1.windows.1'
    label: 'https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/tag/v2.40.1.windows.1'
  - url: 'https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/printf.html'
    label: 'https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/printf.html'
  - url: 'http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/04/25/2'
  - url: >-
      https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PI7FZ4NNR5S5J5K6AMVQBH2JFP6NE4L7/
  - url: >-
      https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YFZWGQKB6MM5MNF2DLFTD7KS2KWPICKL/
  - url: >-
      https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RKOXOAZ42HLXHXTW6JZI4L5DAIYDTYCU/
  - url: 'https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-15'
  - url: 'https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00018.html'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00839
epssPercentile: 0.57944
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T19:30:42.876Z'
---

## Overview

In Git for Windows, the Windows port of Git, no localized messages are shipped with the installer. As a consequence, Git is expected not to localize messages at all, and skips the gettext initialization. However, due to a change in MINGW-packages, the `gettext()` function's implicit initialization no longer uses the runtime prefix but uses the hard-coded path `C:\mingw64\share\locale` to look for localized messages. And since any authenticated user has the permission to create folders in `C:\` (and since `C:\mingw64` does not typically exist), it is possible for low-privilege users to place fake messages in that location where `git.exe` will pick them up in version 2.40.1.

This vulnerability is relatively hard to exploit and requires social engineering. For example, a legitimate message at the end of a clone could be maliciously modified to ask the user to direct their web browser to a malicious website, and the user might think that the message comes from Git and is legitimate. It does require local write access by the attacker, though, which makes this attack vector less likely. Version 2.40.1 contains a patch for this issue. Some workarounds are available. Do not work on a Windows machine with shared accounts, or alternatively create a `C:\mingw64` folder and leave it empty. Users who have administrative rights may remove the permission to create folders in `C:\`.

## Affected

- `git < 2.40.1`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.