How severe is CVE-2008-5916?

CVE-2008-5916 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2008-5916 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-5916?

CVE-2008-5916 primarily affects Git. In total, 85 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-5916?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2008-5916 published?

CVE-2008-5916 was published on 2009-01-21 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-5916

CVE-2008-5916 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Git with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-264.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 4.6)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (37th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-264
Affected product: Git
Published: 2009-01-21
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

gitweb/gitweb.perl in gitweb in Git 1.6.x before 1.6.0.6, 1.5.6.x before 1.5.6.6, 1.5.5.x before 1.5.5.6, 1.5.4.x before 1.5.4.7, and other versions after 1.4.3 allows local repository owners to execute arbitrary commands by modifying the diff.external configuration variable and executing a crafted gitweb query.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-5916?: gitweb/gitweb.perl in gitweb in Git 1.6.x before 1.6.0.6, 1.5.6.x before 1.5.6.6, 1.5.5.x before 1.5.5.6, 1.5.4.x before 1.5.4.7, and other versions after 1.4.3 allows local repository owners to execute arbitrary commands by modifying the diff.external configuration variable and executing a crafted gitweb query.
How severe is CVE-2008-5916?: CVE-2008-5916 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2008-5916 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-5916?: CVE-2008-5916 primarily affects Git. In total, 85 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-5916?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2008-5916 published?: CVE-2008-5916 was published on 2009-01-21 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (85)

cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.3.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.3.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.4.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.1.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.3:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.3:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.3:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:git:git:1.5.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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