Git: Push fails with "could not read Username for 'https://github.com': Device not configured" — credential helper not used when Source Control runs git

Support Bug Reports
1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Background Agent (GitHub, Slack, Web, Linear)

Describe the Bug

When I use the built-in Git integration (Source Control → Commit and Push), push fails with:
fatal: could not read Username for ‘https://github.com’: Device not configured
Push from the system Terminal with the same repo works (credentials are stored in macOS Keychain / credential helper).
So the token is valid and the credential helper works when Git is run from a normal terminal.
When Cursor runs git push (e.g. from the Source Control panel), Git does not appear to receive the stored credential and tries to prompt for username/password. Because there is no TTY in that context, the prompt fails with “Device not configured”.
Expected: Cursor’s Git commands (e.g. push) should run in a context where the configured credential helper (e.g. credential.helper=osxkeychain) can provide credentials, so push works without user interaction when credentials are already stored.
Actual: Push from Source Control fails; the same push from Terminal succeeds.
Environment: macOS; remote is HTTPS; credential helper is configured and works in Terminal.
Impact: Users with HTTPS remotes and stored credentials cannot push from the Cursor UI and must use an external terminal.

Steps to Reproduce

do a git commit to a remote repo through cursor git plugin

Operating System

MacOS

Version Information

Version: 2.4.36
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: f9919bf991f247689f9ead605b5c5a3239a2a790
Date: 2026-02-12T21:00:33.976Z
Build Type: Stable
Release Track: Default
Electron: 39.2.7
Chromium: 142.0.7444.235
Node.js: 22.21.1
V8: 14.2.231.21-electron.0
OS: Darwin x64 24.6.0

Does this stop you from using Cursor

No - Cursor works, but with this issue

3

Hey, thanks for the report. This looks like a known issue with how Source Control in Cursor starts git processes. In that context, the credential helper doesn’t get proper access to the macOS Keychain.

A couple of workarounds:

  • Option 1: Switch to SSH (recommended long-term fix)
    Switch your remote from HTTPS to SSH. This fully avoids the credential helper:

    git remote set-url origin [email protected]:USERNAME/REPO.git

    Make sure you have an SSH key set up for GitHub: Connecting to GitHub with SSH - GitHub Docs

  • Option 2: Use GitHub CLI as the credential helper

    brew install gh
gh auth login
git config --global credential.helper '!gh auth git-credential'

Quick question: which git binary are you using? Can you run which git in your terminal and share the output? If it’s the Homebrew git, a sandboxing issue might also be involved.

The team is aware of the credential helper issues. Let me know if either workaround helped.

4

Hey, thank you for your answer, just to confirm that the functionality is working again now after the latest update, so all good!