cmd/go: disable support for multiple vcs in one module

Removes the somewhat redundant vcs.FromDir, "allowNesting" argument,
which was always enabled, and disallow multiple VCS metadata folders
being present in a single directory. This makes VCS injection attacks
much more difficult.

Also adds a GODEBUG, allowmultiplevcs, which re-enables this behavior.

Thanks to RyotaK (https://ryotak.net) of GMO Flatt Security Inc for reporting this issue.

Fixes #74380
Fixes CVE-2025-4674

Change-Id: I5787d90cdca8deb3aca6f154efb627df1e7d2789
Reviewed-on: https://go-review.googlesource.com/c/go/+/686515
LUCI-TryBot-Result: Go LUCI <golang-scoped@luci-project-accounts.iam.gserviceaccount.com>
Reviewed-by: David Chase <drchase@google.com>
Commit-Queue: Carlos Amedee <carlos@golang.org>
Reviewed-by: Carlos Amedee <carlos@golang.org>

doc/godebug.md

@@ -189,6 +189,11 @@ crypto/x509.CreateCertificate. The setting `x509sha256skid=0` reverts to SHA-1.
 Go 1.25 corrected the semantics of contention reports for runtime-internal locks,
 and so removed the [`runtimecontentionstacks` setting](/pkg/runtime#hdr-Environment_Variables).
 
+Go 1.25 (starting with Go 1.25 RC 2) disabled build information stamping when
+multiple VCS are detected due to concerns around VCS injection attacks. This
+behavior and setting was backported to Go 1.24.5 and Go 1.23.11. This behavior
+can be renabled with the setting `allowmultiplevcs=1`.
+
 ### Go 1.24
 
 Go 1.24 added a new `fips140` setting that controls whether the Go

src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go

@@ -2496,7 +2496,6 @@ func (p *Package) setBuildInfo(ctx context.Context, autoVCS bool) {
 	var repoDir string
 	var vcsCmd *vcs.Cmd
 	var err error
-	const allowNesting = true
 
 	wantVCS := false
 	switch cfg.BuildBuildvcs {
@@ -2516,7 +2515,7 @@ func (p *Package) setBuildInfo(ctx context.Context, autoVCS bool) {
 			// (so the bootstrap toolchain packages don't even appear to be in GOROOT).
 			goto omitVCS
 		}
-		repoDir, vcsCmd, err = vcs.FromDir(base.Cwd(), "", allowNesting)
+		repoDir, vcsCmd, err = vcs.FromDir(base.Cwd(), "")
 		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
 			setVCSError(err)
 			return
@@ -2539,10 +2538,11 @@ func (p *Package) setBuildInfo(ctx context.Context, autoVCS bool) {
 	}
 	if repoDir != "" && vcsCmd.Status != nil {
 		// Check that the current directory, package, and module are in the same
-		// repository. vcs.FromDir allows nested Git repositories, but nesting
-		// is not allowed for other VCS tools. The current directory may be outside
-		// p.Module.Dir when a workspace is used.
-		pkgRepoDir, _, err := vcs.FromDir(p.Dir, "", allowNesting)
+		// repository. vcs.FromDir disallows nested VCS and multiple VCS in the
+		// same repository, unless the GODEBUG allowmultiplevcs is set. The
+		// current directory may be outside p.Module.Dir when a workspace is
+		// used.
+		pkgRepoDir, _, err := vcs.FromDir(p.Dir, "")
 		if err != nil {
 			setVCSError(err)
 			return
@@ -2554,7 +2554,7 @@ func (p *Package) setBuildInfo(ctx context.Context, autoVCS bool) {
 			}
 			goto omitVCS
 		}
-		modRepoDir, _, err := vcs.FromDir(p.Module.Dir, "", allowNesting)
+		modRepoDir, _, err := vcs.FromDir(p.Module.Dir, "")
 		if err != nil {
 			setVCSError(err)
 			return

src/cmd/go/internal/modfetch/repo.go

@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func LookupLocal(ctx context.Context, codeRoot string, path string, dir string)
 
 	return lookupLocalCache.Do(path, func() Repo {
 		return newCachingRepo(ctx, path, func(ctx context.Context) (Repo, error) {
-			repoDir, vcsCmd, err := vcs.FromDir(dir, "", true)
+			repoDir, vcsCmd, err := vcs.FromDir(dir, "")
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}

src/cmd/go/internal/vcs/vcs.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"internal/godebug"
 	"internal/lazyregexp"
 	"internal/singleflight"
 	"io/fs"
@@ -869,11 +870,13 @@ type vcsPath struct {
 	schemelessRepo bool                                // if true, the repo pattern lacks a scheme
 }
 
+var allowmultiplevcs = godebug.New("allowmultiplevcs")
+
 // FromDir inspects dir and its parents to determine the
 // version control system and code repository to use.
 // If no repository is found, FromDir returns an error
 // equivalent to os.ErrNotExist.
-func FromDir(dir, srcRoot string, allowNesting bool) (repoDir string, vcsCmd *Cmd, err error) {
+func FromDir(dir, srcRoot string) (repoDir string, vcsCmd *Cmd, err error) {
 	// Clean and double-check that dir is in (a subdirectory of) srcRoot.
 	dir = filepath.Clean(dir)
 	if srcRoot != "" {
@@ -887,21 +890,28 @@ func FromDir(dir, srcRoot string, allowNesting bool) (repoDir string, vcsCmd *Cm
 	for len(dir) > len(srcRoot) {
 		for _, vcs := range vcsList {
 			if isVCSRoot(dir, vcs.RootNames) {
-				// Record first VCS we find.
-				// If allowNesting is false (as it is in GOPATH), keep looking for
-				// repositories in parent directories and report an error if one is
-				// found to mitigate VCS injection attacks.
 				if vcsCmd == nil {
+					// Record first VCS we find.
 					vcsCmd = vcs
 					repoDir = dir
-					if allowNesting {
+					if allowmultiplevcs.Value() == "1" {
+						allowmultiplevcs.IncNonDefault()
 						return repoDir, vcsCmd, nil
 					}
+					// If allowmultiplevcs is not set, keep looking for
+					// repositories in current and parent directories and report
+					// an error if one is found to mitigate VCS injection
+					// attacks.
 					continue
 				}
-				// Otherwise, we have one VCS inside a different VCS.
-				return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("directory %q uses %s, but parent %q uses %s",
-					repoDir, vcsCmd.Cmd, dir, vcs.Cmd)
+				if vcsCmd == vcsGit && vcs == vcsGit {
+					// Nested Git is allowed, as this is how things like
+					// submodules work. Git explicitly protects against
+					// injection against itself.
+					continue
+				}
+				return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("multiple VCS detected: %s in %q, and %s in %q",
+					vcsCmd.Cmd, repoDir, vcs.Cmd, dir)
 			}
 		}
 

src/cmd/go/internal/vcs/vcs_test.go

@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ func TestFromDir(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			wantRepoDir := filepath.Dir(dir)
-			gotRepoDir, gotVCS, err := FromDir(dir, tempDir, false)
+			gotRepoDir, gotVCS, err := FromDir(dir, tempDir)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("FromDir(%q, %q): %v", dir, tempDir, err)
 				continue

src/cmd/go/testdata/script/test_multivcs.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# To avoid VCS injection attacks, we should not accept multiple different VCS metadata
+# folders within a single module (either in the same directory, or nested in different
+# directories.)
+#
+# This behavior should be disabled by setting the allowmultiplevcs GODEBUG.
+
+[short] skip
+[!git] skip
+
+cd samedir
+
+exec git init .
+
+# Without explicitly requesting buildvcs, the go command should silently continue
+# without determining the correct VCS.
+go test -c -o $devnull .
+
+# If buildvcs is explicitly requested, we expect the go command to fail
+! go test -buildvcs -c -o $devnull .
+stderr '^error obtaining VCS status: multiple VCS detected:'
+
+env GODEBUG=allowmultiplevcs=1
+go test -buildvcs -c -o $devnull .
+
+env GODEBUG=
+cd ../nested
+exec git init .
+# cd a
+go test -c -o $devnull ./a
+! go test -buildvcs -c -o $devnull ./a
+stderr '^error obtaining VCS status: multiple VCS detected:'
+# allowmultiplevcs doesn't disable the check that the current directory, package, and
+# module are in the same repository.
+env GODEBUG=allowmultiplevcs=1
+! go test -buildvcs -c -o $devnull ./a
+stderr '^error obtaining VCS status: main package is in repository'
+
+-- samedir/go.mod --
+module example
+
+go 1.18
+-- samedir/example.go --
+package main
+-- samedir/.bzr/test --
+hello
+
+-- nested/go.mod --
+module example
+
+go 1.18
+-- nested/a/example.go --
+package main
+-- nested/a/.bzr/test --
+hello

src/cmd/go/testdata/script/version_buildvcs_nested.txt

@@ -9,25 +9,35 @@ cd root
 go mod init example.com/root
 exec git init
 
-# Nesting repositories in parent directories are ignored, as the current
-# directory main package, and containing main module are in the same repository.
-# This is an error in GOPATH mode (to prevent VCS injection), but for modules,
-# we assume users have control over repositories they've checked out.
+
+# Nesting repositories in parent directories are an error, to prevent VCS injection.
+# This can be disabled with the allowmultiplevcs GODEBUG.
 mkdir hgsub
 cd hgsub
 exec hg init
 cp ../../main.go main.go
 ! go build
+stderr '^error obtaining VCS status: multiple VCS detected: hg in ".*hgsub", and git in ".*root"$'
+stderr '^\tUse -buildvcs=false to disable VCS stamping.$'
+env GODEBUG=allowmultiplevcs=1
+! go build
 stderr '^error obtaining VCS status: main module is in repository ".*root" but current directory is in repository ".*hgsub"$'
 stderr '^\tUse -buildvcs=false to disable VCS stamping.$'
 go build -buildvcs=false
+env GODEBUG=
 go mod init example.com/root/hgsub
+! go build
+stderr '^error obtaining VCS status: multiple VCS detected: hg in ".*hgsub", and git in ".*root"$'
+stderr '^\tUse -buildvcs=false to disable VCS stamping.$'
+env GODEBUG=allowmultiplevcs=1
 go build
+env GODEBUG=
 cd ..
 
 # It's an error to build a package from a nested Git repository if the package
 # is in a separate repository from the current directory or from the module
-# root directory.
+# root directory. Otherwise nested Git repositories are allowed, as this is
+# how Git implements submodules (and protects against Git based VCS injection.)
 mkdir gitsub
 cd gitsub
 exec git init

src/internal/godebugs/table.go

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ type Info struct {
 // Note: After adding entries to this table, update the list in doc/godebug.md as well.
 // (Otherwise the test in this package will fail.)
 var All = []Info{
+	{Name: "allowmultiplevcs", Package: "cmd/go"},
 	{Name: "asynctimerchan", Package: "time", Changed: 23, Old: "1"},
 	{Name: "containermaxprocs", Package: "runtime", Changed: 25, Old: "0"},
 	{Name: "dataindependenttiming", Package: "crypto/subtle", Opaque: true},

src/runtime/metrics/doc.go

@@ -230,6 +230,11 @@ Below is the full list of supported metrics, ordered lexicographically.
 	/gc/stack/starting-size:bytes
 		The stack size of new goroutines.
 
+	/godebug/non-default-behavior/allowmultiplevcs:events
+		The number of non-default behaviors executed by the cmd/go
+		package due to a non-default GODEBUG=allowmultiplevcs=...
+		setting.
+
 	/godebug/non-default-behavior/asynctimerchan:events
 		The number of non-default behaviors executed by the time package
 		due to a non-default GODEBUG=asynctimerchan=... setting.