The .git directory is the hidden folder that stores a Git repository’s objects, references, and configuration. It contains the commit history, branch pointers, tags, and internal data Git needs to track changes over time. In normal development it should stay private on a developer machine or behind repository hosting controls, not inside a web root.
Security problems begin when a web server accidentally serves this directory over HTTP. An exposed .git path can let an attacker reconstruct source history, discover deleted files, and recover secrets that were committed in the past, such as API keys or cloud credentials. Defenders should block public access to .git, verify deployment directories, scan for exposed repository metadata, and rotate any secret that may have been published. In practice, the directory itself is not malicious, but leaving it reachable can turn old code into active risk.