Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This issue means some git-annex repositories could have stored embedded AWS S3 or Glacier credentials in readable form when users expected them to be encrypted. The main business risk is credential disclosure from anyone who can access the affected repository or its history.
Executive priority
Prioritize review where git-annex repositories are shared broadly, mirrored externally, or tied to sensitive AWS storage. The urgency is high for confidentiality, but evidence of exploitation is not supplied.
Technical view
CVE-2014-6274 affects git-annex versions from 3.20121126 before 5.20140919 when S3 or Glacier remotes used embedcreds=yes with encryption=pubkey or encryption=hybrid. The embedded AWS credentials were effectively plaintext in the git repository, causing confidentiality exposure under CWE-311.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations using affected git-annex versions with S3 or Glacier remotes, embedcreds=yes, and pubkey or hybrid encryption. Repositories, mirrors, backups, and clones may preserve the exposed credentials in history.
Exploitation context
The supplied sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Practical risk depends on whether unauthorized users can read affected repositories or their historical objects containing embedded credentials.
Researcher notes
The CVE record names git-annex as the affected product and narrows the condition to S3 and Glacier remotes with specific embedded credential and encryption settings. Evidence is incomplete on real-world exploitation, prevalence, and exact vendor cleanup steps beyond the upgrade advisory.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected git-annex installations to 5.20140919 or later.
- Follow the git-annex insecure embedded credentials upgrade guidance.
- Identify AWS credentials that may have been embedded and exposed.
- Rotate any exposed AWS credentials through normal credential-management processes.
- Review repository clones, mirrors, and backups for retained exposed credentials.
Validation and detection
- Inventory git-annex versions used with S3 or Glacier remotes.
- Check whether affected remotes used embedcreds=yes.
- Confirm whether encryption was set to pubkey or hybrid.
- Review repository history for embedded credential exposure.
- Verify upgraded git-annex behavior before re-embedding credentials.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-311: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2014-6274 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N3.93.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git-annex.branchable.com/upgrades/insecure_embedded_creds/CVE reference
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data
Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.