How to Fix CVE-2026-5512: Insertion of sensitive information into sent in Enterprise Server
By Sai Kiran Pandrala. Last verified: 2026-05-25.
| Severity | 5.3 (Medium) |
|---|---|
| Actively exploited? | No public listing in CISA KEV |
| Affected | GitHub Enterprise Server 3.14.0 to <3.14.25, 3.15.0 to <3.15.20, 3.16.0 to <3.16.16, 3.17.0 to <3.17.13, 3.18.0 to <3.18.7, 3.19.0 to <3.19.4, 3.20.0 to <3.20.1 |
| Fixed in | Enterprise Server 3.14.25; Enterprise Server 3.15.20; Enterprise Server 3.16.16; Enterprise Server 3.17.13 (and 3 more SKUs — see vendor advisory) |
| Type (CWE) | CWE-201: Insertion of sensitive information into sent data |
What is CVE-2026-5512?
An improper authorization vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed an authenticated attacker to determine the names of private repositories by their numeric ID. The mobile upload policy API endpoint did not perform an early authorization check, and validation error messages included the full repository name for repositories the caller did not have access to. This vulnerability affected all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server prior to 3.21 and was fixed in versions 3.20.1, 3.19.5, 3.18.8, 3.17.14, 3.16.17, 3.15.21, and 3.14.26. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program.
Am I affected?
Run the version check that matches your platform:
# Linux
dpkg -s git 2>/dev/null | grep -i version
rpm -q git 2>/dev/null
git --version 2>/dev/null
Compare what you see against the Affected row above (GitHub Enterprise Server 3.14.0 to <3.14.25, 3.15.0 to <3.15.20, 3.16.0 to <3.16.16, 3.17.0 to <3.17.13, 3.18.0 to <3.18.7, 3.19.0 to <3.19.4, 3.20.0 to <3.20.1). If your build sits inside that range, you are exposed and should patch.
How to fix CVE-2026-5512
The primary fix is to upgrade Enterprise Server to the patched build. Use the commands for your platform below; the patched versions listed in the vendor advisory are: Enterprise Server 3.14.25; Enterprise Server 3.15.20; Enterprise Server 3.16.16; Enterprise Server 3.17.13 (and 3 more SKUs — see vendor advisory).
Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade git
git --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -s git | grep -i version
RHEL / CentOS / Rocky / AlmaLinux
sudo dnf upgrade --security git -y
rpm -q git
SUSE / openSUSE
sudo zypper patch --category security
rpm -q git
Complete PowerShell remediation script (Windows)
# Fix script for CVE-2026-5512 affecting Git
# Run as administrator. Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$LogPath = "C:\Logs\CVE-2026-5512-fix-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmmss).log"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force (Split-Path $LogPath) | Out-Null
Start-Transcript -Path $LogPath -Append
try {
Write-Host "[1/4] Detecting installed version of Git"
$pkg = winget list --id "Git" 2>$null
Write-Host $pkg
Write-Host "[2/4] Backing up configuration"
$backup = "C:\Backup\Git-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd)"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force $backup | Out-Null
Get-ChildItem "C:\ProgramData\Git" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
Copy-Item -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-Host "[3/4] Applying upgrade to Enterprise Server 3.14.25; Enterprise Server 3.15.20; Enterprise Server 3.16...."
winget upgrade --id "Git" --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
# Fallback: Windows Update for OS-level fixes
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot
}
Write-Host "[4/4] Verifying patched build"
winget list --id "Git"
Write-Host "Fix applied. Reboot if prompted."
exit 0
} catch {
Write-Error "Patch failed: $_"
exit 1
} finally {
Stop-Transcript
}
Complete Bash remediation script (Linux)
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Fix script for CVE-2026-5512 affecting Git
# Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.
set -euo pipefail
LOG="/var/log/cve-2026-5512-fix-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
exec > >(tee -a "$LOG") 2>&1
echo "[1/4] Detecting installed version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
dpkg -s git 2>/dev/null | grep -i version || echo "git not installed via dpkg"
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
rpm -q git || echo "git not installed via rpm"
fi
echo "[2/4] Backing up configuration"
BACKUP="/root/backup-cve-2026-5512-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/git /etc/git.d /etc/git.conf; do
[ -e "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" || true
done
echo "[3/4] Applying upgrade (target: Enterprise Server 3.14.25; Enterprise Server 3.15.20; Enterprise Server 3.16....)"
if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
apt-get update
apt-get install --only-upgrade -y git
elif command -v dnf >/dev/null; then
dnf upgrade --security -y git
elif command -v yum >/dev/null; then
yum update -y git
elif command -v zypper >/dev/null; then
zypper --non-interactive patch --category security
fi
echo "[4/4] Verifying patched build"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
dpkg -s git 2>/dev/null | grep -i version
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
rpm -q git
fi
echo "Done. Restart any running daemons that loaded the old library."
If you can't patch immediately
If you cannot apply the patched version today, restrict exposure with one of the following runnable controls. None replace the patch.
Network restriction (Linux, nftables)
# Block inbound traffic to the affected service from untrusted networks
sudo nft add table inet filter
sudo nft 'add chain inet filter input { type filter hook input priority 0 ; }'
sudo nft 'add rule inet filter input tcp dport {443, 80} ip saddr != 10.0.0.0/8 drop'
sudo nft list ruleset
Reduce attack surface
# git is a library or shell, not a service. Restart any daemon that links it
# after applying the patch so the new code is actually loaded in memory.
sudo lsof | grep git | awk '{print $1, $2}' | sort -u
# Then restart each listed process group, or schedule a reboot at the next window.
How to verify the fix worked
# Linux
git --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -s git | grep -i version
rpm -q git 2>/dev/null || true
# Windows
winget list | findstr /I "git"
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5
Expected: the reported version is at or above Enterprise Server 3.14.25; Enterprise Server 3.15.20; Enterprise Server 3.16.16; Enterprise Server 3.17.13 (and 3 more SKUs, see vendor advisory). Restart any services that loaded the old library (systemctl restart <service> on Linux, restart the Windows service or reboot when prompted). For network appliances, run show version on the device and confirm the build matches the patched release.
Frequently asked questions
Related fixes
Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:
- How to Fix CVE-2026-44442: Missing Authorization in erpnext , Missing Authorization in erpnext
- How to Fix CVE-2026-40303: Denial of service in zrok , Denial of service in zrok
- How to Fix CVE-2026-3775: Foxit PDF Editor (Bundle Sibling) , Foxit PDF Editor (Bundle Sibling)
- How to Fix CVE-2026-41288: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource in WatchGuard Agent , Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource in WatchGuard Agent
- How to Fix CVE-2026-24361: Critical Vulnerability in LearnPress – Course Review , Critical Vulnerability in LearnPress – Course Review
Is CVE-2026-5512 actually being exploited?
According to the data sources above, no public confirmation of in-the-wild exploitation at this time. Either way, the fix is the same: apply the vendor patch.
Do I need to reboot after patching?
For OS or kernel updates, yes. For most userland packages a systemctl restart <service> is enough. Any process that loaded the old shared library keeps using it until restarted, so when in doubt, reboot.
What is the CVSS score?
5.3 (medium). Refer to the vendor advisory for the exact vector string.
Where is the official advisory?
See the References section at the bottom of this page; the vendor's URL is the authoritative source for affected builds and patched versions.
References
- Official vendor advisory: https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-server@3.14/admin/release-notes#3.14.26
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5512
- https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-server@3.15/admin/release-notes#3.15.21
- https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-server@3.16/admin/release-notes#3.16.17
- https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-server@3.17/admin/release-notes#3.17.14
- https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-server@3.18/admin/release-notes#3.18.8
*Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala. Assembled from the official vendor advisory, NVD record, and CISA KEV listing on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor's advisory before applying changes in production.*