In gittuf before 0.18.0, verification of file protection rules uses the quoted, escaped pathnames that Git prints by default for files with special characters (for example non-ASCII characters) instead of the raw paths. Such paths do not match patterns like file:internal/, so the files are treated as unprotected, and a user who is not authorized by a file protection rule can change a protected file whose name contains special characters and still pass verification.

In gittuf 0.4.0 through 0.16.0, when a policy update appears within the range of reference state log entries being verified, verification checks only the root of trust signatures of the new policy and not the signatures of its other metadata (rule files). A user trusted to push to the repository who bypasses gittuf policy apply and writes the policy reference and reference state log directly can make an invalid policy apply during verification, weakening or strengthening the rules for later changes. The update is still recorded in the reference state log.