Description
Dulwich is a pure-Python implementation of the Git file formats and protocols. Starting in version 0.1.0 and prior to version 1.2.5, a client with push access could push a tiny crafted thin pack (~174 bytes) whose delta header declares a huge dest_size. When dulwich ingested it via add_thin_pack / apply_delta, it would allocate hundreds of MB of memory based on that attacker-controlled size, with no relationship to the actual bytes received. Operators running a Dulwich-based Git server that exposes git-receive-pack (i.e. accepts pushes) - for example via dulwich.server functionality, the HTTP smart server, or anything built on ReceivePackHandler - are impacted. The issue is patched in 1.2.5. add_thin_pack now accepts a max_input_size keyword (bytes; 0/None = unlimited, matching git's semantics), and ReceivePackHandler reads receive.maxInputSize from the repository config and passes it through. Wire reads are counted and a PackInputTooLarge exception is raised once the cap is exceeded - equivalent to git index-pack --max-input-size. Users should upgrade to Dulwich 1.2.5 or later and set receive.maxInputSize in their server's repository config to a sane bound for their environment. On unpatched versions, receive.maxInputSize has no effect, so it cannot be used as a workaround. Until upgrading, operators should restrict dulwich-receive-pack (push) access to trusted, authenticated clients only, or disable it entirely on servers that only need to serve fetches and/or run the server under an OS-level memory limit (e.g. ulimit, cgroups/MemoryMax, or a container memory limit) so a malicious push is killed rather than taking down the host.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| jelmer | dulwich | >= 0.1.0, < 1.2.5 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | dulwich | 1.2.5-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | dulwich | No fix yet | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP7 | python3-dulwich | 0.20.24-150400.8.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:2984-1 |
| SLES 12 | python-dulwich | 0.18.5-4.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:3117-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | python3-dulwich +1 | 0.20.18-1.amzn2023.0.3 | ALAS2023-2026-2026 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | python-dulwich | No fix yet | — |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | dulwich | >= 0.1.0, < 1.2.5 | 1.2.5 | GHSA-xrvj-v92f-53gj |
Advisories 4
- WID-SEC-2026-2455 Oracle Solaris Drittanbieterkomponenten: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Oct 27, 2026
- ALAS2023-2026-2026 Important: python-dulwich security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Aug 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:3117-1 Security update for python-dulwich SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 18, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:2984-1 Security update for python3-dulwich SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 15, 2026