GitHub CLI tokens leak via `gh attestation` commands
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-863.
Summary
GitHub CLI (gh) is GitHub’s official command line tool. Prior to 2.93.0, GitHub CLI incorrectly includes authorization header in API requests to TUF repository mirrors via gh attestation, gh release verify, and gh release verify-asset commands. The CLI uses a shared HTTP client with an authentication layer that automatically attaches tokens to outgoing requests. This layer lacks accurate host detection and can incorrectly attribute the target host, providing it with a token it should never receive. Specifically, the host normalization logic collapses any *.github.com subdomain to github.com, so a request to tuf-repo.github.com (a GitHub Pages site, not a GitHub API endpoint) is treated as a request to github.com and receives the user's github.com token. For hosts that don't match github.com or a known GHES instance at all, the resolver falls back to GH_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN if set. The gh attestation, gh release verify and gh release verify-asset commands fetch data from several external hosts as part of their normal operation (TUF metadata from tuf-repo.github.com and tuf-repo-cdn.sigstore.dev, artifact bundles from Azure Blob Storage). Because these requests go through the same authenticated HTTP client, the token is sent to all of them. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.93.0.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cli | cli | before 2.93.0 | 2.93.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | github.com/cli/cli/v2 (Go) | before 2.93.0 | 2.93.0 | Patch available | GHSA-8xvp-7hj6-mcj9 |
- cli Vendorcli Affected before 2.93.0 Fixed in 2.93.0 Patch available CNA
- github.com/cli/cli/v2 (Go) Vendor— Affected before 2.93.0 Fixed in 2.93.0 Patch available GHSA-8xvp-7hj6-mcj9
Remediation
- Fix · CNA cli (cli) Fixed in 2.93.0
- Fix · GHSA-8xvp-7hj6-mcj9 github.com/cli/cli/v2 (Go) Fixed in 2.93.0 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-48501
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8xvp-7hj6-mcj9
References
More cli vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-18873 `gh attestation verify` returns incorrect exit code during verification if no attestations are present CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.3
- TI-2026-33538 gh: GitHub Actions log output in `gh run view` allows terminal escape sequence injection CVSS 3.1LOW 3.5
- TI-2024-34983 Connecting to a malicious Codespaces via GH CLI could allow command execution on the user's computer CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
- TI-2024-36052 go-gh `auth.TokenForHost` violates GitHub host security boundary within a codespace CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2024-36051 Recursive repository cloning can leak authentication tokens to non-GitHub submodule hosts in the gh cli CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2024-36248 GitHub CLI allows downloading malicious GitHub Actions workflow artifact to result in path traversal vulnerability CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 6.3
Sources
- CVE-2026-48501 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-48501 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8xvp-7hj6-mcj9 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-48501 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences