Network UPS Tools: A PWN Request in make-dist workflow can execute PR-controlled code with write-scoped GITHUB_TOKEN
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · Low
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-829.
Summary
Network UPS Tools is a collection of programs which provide a common interface for monitoring and administering UPS, PDU and SCD hardware. Prior to commits 658b24e and 1aa31d1, the GitHub Actions script used to prepare NUT tarballs and update GitHub Checks statuses and PR comments about it was mis-structured in terms of mixing code running with higher privileges (single-use token generated with write permissions) and untrusted inputs (PR source branch). A malicious PR run from a fork could extract the GITHUB_TOKEN value. It could potentially be abused while it was valid (while the GHA job ran) to manipulate Git repository contents, commit checks/statuses, or issue/PR comments, according to permissions it was issued with. This issue has been patched via commits 658b24e and 1aa31d1.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| networkupstools | nut | before 658b24e | 658b24e | Patch available | CNA |
- nut Vendornetworkupstools Affected before 658b24e Fixed in 658b24e Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA nut (networkupstools) Fixed in 658b24e
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-54160
References
More networkupstools vulnerabilities
- TI-2012-02556 Buffer overflow in the addchar function in common/parseconf.c in upsd in Network UPS… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-84486 Command injection in Network UPS Tools upsmon via ups.alarm CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
- TI-2026-85709 Uninitialized stack memory leak in NUT blazer_usb driver CVSS 3.1LOW 2.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-54160 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-54160 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2026-54160 · 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