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RE: [RFC PATCH 0/2] Allow adding .git files and directories

From
Randall S. Becker <rsbecker@nexbridge.com>
Date
Aug 19, 2020, 18:47 UTC
Message-ID
<04aa01d67659$2dc217b0$89464710$@nexbridge.com>
In-Reply-To
<xmqqr1s2tswd.fsf@gitster.c.googlers.com>
On August 19, 2020 2:04 PM, Junio C Hamano
Show 12 quoted lines
> To: Lukas Straub <lukasstraub2@web.de>
> Cc: git <git@vger.kernel.org>; Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>;
> Brandon Williams <bwilliams.eng@gmail.com>; Johannes Schindelin
> <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de>; Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
> Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 0/2] Allow adding .git files and directories
> 
> Lukas Straub <lukasstraub2@web.de> writes:
> 
> > These patches allow this and work well in a quick test. Of course some
> > tests fail because with this the handling of nested git repos changed.
> 
> In other words, this breaks the workflow existing users rely on, right?  I
do
> not know if such a behaviour ever needs to exist even as an opt-in
feature,
> but it definitely feels wrong to make the behaviour these patches
introduce
> the default.

I am concerned about broader implications. I might be stating the obvious, but a key security vulnerability that would open up here is to put contents of files like .git/config into a repository. This capability would allow scripts to be introduced without the explicit knowledge of the user. While I'm sure some of the heavy clean/smudge users might appreciate it, this can represent a vector for the introduction of hostile code into an environment. While this enhancement seems like a good idea on the surface, if it goes forward, it should not be the default and should not be under the control of the upstream repository. You would need loads of warnings about potential script hazards at the very least presented to the user, beyond what is already documented in git. This change would not interoperate with JGit - not that that is a huge concern here, but heavy Jenkins and other pipeline users could be significantly impacted.

Just putting my CSIO hat on here. We would need a system-wide setting to prohibit users from using this capability.

Sincerely, Randall

-- Brief whoami:
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 UNIX developer since approximately 421664400
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Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 5 of 27 in “Allow adding .git files and directories”
  1. 0/2 Allow adding .git files and directoriesLukas Straub, Aug 19, 2020
  2. 2/2 dir: Recurse into nested git repos if they aren't submodulesLukas Straub, Aug 19, 2020
  3. 1/2 dir/read-cache: Allow adding .git files and directoriesLukas Straub, Aug 19, 2020
  4. Junio C HamanoAug 19, 2020
  5. Randall S. BeckerAug 19, 2020
  6. Junio C HamanoAug 19, 2020
  7. Randall S. BeckerAug 19, 2020
  8. Jeff KingAug 19, 2020
  9. Junio C HamanoAug 19, 2020
  10. Jeff KingAug 19, 2020
  11. Randall S. BeckerAug 19, 2020
  12. Johannes SchindelinAug 20, 2020
  13. Lukas StraubAug 20, 2020
  14. Jeff KingAug 20, 2020
  15. Lukas StraubAug 21, 2020
  16. Randall S. BeckerAug 21, 2020
  17. brian m. carlsonAug 21, 2020
  18. Lukas StraubAug 22, 2020
  19. brian m. carlsonAug 22, 2020
  20. Lukas StraubAug 22, 2020
  21. Johannes SchindelinAug 24, 2020
  22. Lukas StraubAug 20, 2020
  23. Jeff KingAug 20, 2020
  24. Lukas StraubAug 19, 2020
  25. Lukas StraubAug 19, 2020
  26. Randall S. BeckerAug 19, 2020
  27. Lukas StraubAug 20, 2020

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