From: "Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
To: git@vger.kernel.org
Cc: "brian m. carlson" <sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>,
Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>,
Andreas Schwab <schwab@linux-m68k.org>,
Ondrej Pohorelsky <opohorel@redhat.com>,
Patrick Steinhardt <ps@pks.im>, Jeff King <peff@peff.net>,
"D. Ben Knoble" <ben.knoble@gmail.com>,
Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>,
Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
Subject: [PATCH v4 1/6] sideband: mask control characters
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:17:57 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <7addb9ca529ddf9baf0350f95388516cc27525c2.1770113882.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <pull.1853.v4.git.1770113882.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
The output of `git clone` is a vital component for understanding what
has happened when things go wrong. However, these logs are partially
under the control of the remote server (via the "sideband", which
typically contains what the remote `git pack-objects` process sends to
`stderr`), and is currently not sanitized by Git.
This makes Git susceptible to ANSI escape sequence injection (see
CWE-150, https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/150.html), which allows
attackers to corrupt terminal state, to hide information, and even to
insert characters into the input buffer (i.e. as if the user had typed
those characters).
To plug this vulnerability, disallow any control character in the
sideband, replacing them instead with the common `^<letter/symbol>`
(e.g. `^[` for `\x1b`, `^A` for `\x01`).
There is likely a need for more fine-grained controls instead of using a
"heavy hammer" like this, which will be introduced subsequently.
Helped-by: Phillip Wood <phillip.wood@dunelm.org.uk>
Signed-off-by: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
---
sideband.c | 17 +++++++++++++++--
t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh | 12 ++++++++++++
2 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/sideband.c b/sideband.c
index ea7c25211e..c1bbadccac 100644
--- a/sideband.c
+++ b/sideband.c
@@ -66,6 +66,19 @@ void list_config_color_sideband_slots(struct string_list *list, const char *pref
list_config_item(list, prefix, keywords[i].keyword);
}
+static void strbuf_add_sanitized(struct strbuf *dest, const char *src, int n)
+{
+ strbuf_grow(dest, n);
+ for (; n && *src; src++, n--) {
+ if (!iscntrl(*src) || *src == '\t' || *src == '\n') {
+ strbuf_addch(dest, *src);
+ } else {
+ strbuf_addch(dest, '^');
+ strbuf_addch(dest, *src == 0x7f ? '?' : 0x40 + *src);
+ }
+ }
+}
+
/*
* Optionally highlight one keyword in remote output if it appears at the start
* of the line. This should be called for a single line only, which is
@@ -81,7 +94,7 @@ static void maybe_colorize_sideband(struct strbuf *dest, const char *src, int n)
int i;
if (!want_color_stderr(use_sideband_colors())) {
- strbuf_add(dest, src, n);
+ strbuf_add_sanitized(dest, src, n);
return;
}
@@ -114,7 +127,7 @@ static void maybe_colorize_sideband(struct strbuf *dest, const char *src, int n)
}
}
- strbuf_add(dest, src, n);
+ strbuf_add_sanitized(dest, src, n);
}
diff --git a/t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh b/t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh
index fa5de4500a..aa5b570571 100755
--- a/t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh
+++ b/t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh
@@ -98,4 +98,16 @@ test_expect_success 'fallback to color.ui' '
grep "<BOLD;RED>error<RESET>: error" decoded
'
+test_expect_success 'disallow (color) control sequences in sideband' '
+ write_script .git/color-me-surprised <<-\EOF &&
+ printf "error: Have you \\033[31mread\\033[m this?\\n" >&2
+ exec "$@"
+ EOF
+ test_config_global uploadPack.packObjectsHook ./color-me-surprised &&
+ test_commit need-at-least-one-commit &&
+ git clone --no-local . throw-away 2>stderr &&
+ test_decode_color <stderr >decoded &&
+ test_grep ! RED decoded
+'
+
test_done
--
gitgitgadget
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-02-03 10:18 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 85+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2025-01-14 18:19 [PATCH 0/3] Sanitize sideband channel messages Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2025-01-14 18:19 ` [PATCH 1/3] sideband: mask control characters Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2025-01-15 14:49 ` Phillip Wood
2025-12-02 15:43 ` Johannes Schindelin
2025-01-15 15:17 ` Andreas Schwab
2025-01-15 16:24 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-01-14 18:19 ` [PATCH 2/3] sideband: introduce an "escape hatch" to allow " Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2025-01-14 18:19 ` [PATCH 3/3] sideband: do allow ANSI color sequences by default Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2025-01-14 22:50 ` [PATCH 0/3] Sanitize sideband channel messages brian m. carlson
2025-01-16 6:45 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-01-28 16:03 ` Ondrej Pohorelsky
2025-01-31 17:55 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-12-02 14:11 ` Johannes Schindelin
2025-12-03 0:47 ` brian m. carlson
2025-12-03 8:04 ` Johannes Schindelin
2025-01-15 14:49 ` Phillip Wood
2025-12-02 14:56 ` Johannes Schindelin
2025-12-17 14:23 ` [PATCH v2 0/4] " Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2025-12-17 14:23 ` [PATCH v2 1/4] sideband: mask control characters Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-09 12:38 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2026-01-16 19:29 ` Johannes Schindelin
2025-12-17 14:23 ` [PATCH v2 2/4] sideband: introduce an "escape hatch" to allow " Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2025-12-18 2:22 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-12-18 17:59 ` Johannes Schindelin
2025-12-19 13:33 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-01-16 19:25 ` Johannes Schindelin
2026-01-09 12:38 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2025-12-17 14:23 ` [PATCH v2 3/4] sideband: do allow ANSI color sequences by default Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-09 12:38 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2026-01-16 19:38 ` Johannes Schindelin
2025-12-17 14:23 ` [PATCH v2 4/4] sideband: add options to allow more control sequences to be passed through Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-09 12:38 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2026-01-10 17:26 ` brian m. carlson
2026-01-15 21:14 ` Jeff King
2026-01-15 21:36 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-01-15 23:12 ` Johannes Schindelin
2026-01-16 6:45 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2026-01-16 12:12 ` Ondrej Pohorelsky
2026-01-16 15:21 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-01-16 18:46 ` Johannes Schindelin
2026-01-16 19:24 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-01-19 7:20 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2026-01-19 22:16 ` brian m. carlson
2026-01-20 2:41 ` D. Ben Knoble
2026-01-20 17:05 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-01-20 19:31 ` Jeff King
2026-01-20 20:11 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-01-21 7:39 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2026-01-22 12:29 ` Johannes Schindelin
2026-01-22 17:58 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-01-15 23:10 ` brian m. carlson
2026-02-03 1:11 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-02-03 7:12 ` Johannes Schindelin
2026-02-03 19:00 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-02-04 19:35 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-01-16 19:47 ` Johannes Schindelin
2026-01-16 22:26 ` [PATCH v3 0/5] Sanitize sideband channel messages Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-16 22:26 ` [PATCH v3 1/5] sideband: mask control characters Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-16 22:26 ` [PATCH v3 2/5] sideband: introduce an "escape hatch" to allow " Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-16 22:26 ` [PATCH v3 3/5] sideband: do allow ANSI color sequences by default Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-16 22:26 ` [PATCH v3 4/5] sideband: add options to allow more control sequences to be passed through Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-16 22:26 ` [PATCH v3 5/5] sideband: offer to configure sanitizing on a per-URL basis Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-01-16 22:32 ` [PATCH v3 0/5] Sanitize sideband channel messages Johannes Schindelin
2026-02-03 10:17 ` [PATCH v4 0/6] " Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-02-03 10:17 ` Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget [this message]
2026-02-03 10:17 ` [PATCH v4 2/6] sideband: introduce an "escape hatch" to allow control characters Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-02-03 10:17 ` [PATCH v4 3/6] sideband: do allow ANSI color sequences by default Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-02-03 10:18 ` [PATCH v4 4/6] sideband: add options to allow more control sequences to be passed through Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-02-03 10:18 ` [PATCH v4 5/6] sideband: offer to configure sanitizing on a per-URL basis Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-02-03 10:18 ` [PATCH v4 6/6] sideband: delay sanitizing by default to Git v3.0 Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget
2026-02-04 19:26 ` [PATCH v4 0/6] Sanitize sideband channel messages Junio C Hamano
2026-02-05 14:48 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-02-13 23:50 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-03-02 18:11 ` [PATCH 0/3] Sanitizing sideband output Junio C Hamano
2026-03-02 18:11 ` [PATCH 1/3] sideband: drop 'default' configuration Junio C Hamano
2026-03-02 18:11 ` [PATCH 2/3] sideband: delay sanitizing by default to Git v3.0 Junio C Hamano
2026-03-02 18:11 ` [PATCH 3/3] sideband: conditional documentation fix Junio C Hamano
2026-03-05 23:34 ` [PATCH v5 0/7] Sanitizing sideband output Junio C Hamano
2026-03-05 23:34 ` [PATCH v5 1/7] sideband: mask control characters Junio C Hamano
2026-03-05 23:34 ` [PATCH v5 2/7] sideband: introduce an "escape hatch" to allow " Junio C Hamano
2026-03-05 23:34 ` [PATCH v5 3/7] sideband: do allow ANSI color sequences by default Junio C Hamano
2026-03-05 23:34 ` [PATCH v5 4/7] sideband: add options to allow more control sequences to be passed through Junio C Hamano
2026-03-05 23:34 ` [PATCH v5 5/7] sideband: offer to configure sanitizing on a per-URL basis Junio C Hamano
2026-03-05 23:34 ` [PATCH v5 6/7] sideband: drop 'default' configuration Junio C Hamano
2026-03-05 23:34 ` [PATCH v5 7/7] sideband: delay sanitizing by default to Git v3.0 Junio C Hamano
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