GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp: OS Command Injection
Impact
Versions of conflibot before 1.2.1 build git commands by string interpolation and run them through a shell. Several of the interpolated values are pull request branch names (head.ref), which are attacker-controlled: anyone can open a pull request (including from a fork) whose head branch name contains shell metacharacters such as , $( ), ;, |, or &.
The recommended workflow runs conflibot on the pullrequesttarget event, where the job has access to the base repository's secrets and a write-scoped GITHUBTOKEN. As a result, a crafted branch name causes arbitrary command execution on the runner with that write token in the environment, allowing an attacker to exfiltrate secrets and the token, push to the repository, or otherwise abuse the token's permissions. No special privileges and no maintainer interaction are required — the action runs automatically when the pull request is opened.
Affected configurations
Any workflow using wktk/conflibot at a version earlier than 1.2.1. The risk is highest under pullrequesttarget (the documented configuration), because that is where the write token and secrets are exposed to attacker-influenced refs.
Patches
Fixed in 1.2.1 and 2.0.0. All git invocations now use argument arrays via execFile/spawn instead of a shell, so branch names can no longer be interpreted as shell syntax, and pull requests are referenced by number through refs/pull/<n>/head rather than by branch name.
Workarounds
There is no configuration-only workaround for affected versions. Upgrade to wktk/conflibot@v2. On GitHub-hosted runners this is a drop-in upgrade; self-hosted runners additionally need Node.js 24 support and git 2.38 or later.
Resources
- Fix (v2.0.0): https://github.com/wktk/conflibot/commit/0107ac6 - Fix (v1.2.1): https://github.com/wktk/conflibot/commit/59e255c - Releases: https://github.com/wktk/conflibot/releases/tag/v2.0.0 and https://github.com/wktk/conflibot/releases/tag/v1.2.1
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
actions/wktk/conflibotto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1.2.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
wktk/conflibotto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1.2.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
wktk/conflibotto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 2.0.0 - Compensating control
For the workflow, use the recommended `pull_request_target` configuration noting the risk is highest there because the job has access to the base repository's secrets and a write-scoped `GITHUB_TOKEN` (so ensure conflibot is upgraded to v1.2.1 or v2.0.0 before using it on this event).
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp?
GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp has a critical severity score of 9.1.
What is the impact of GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp?
This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands through OS command injection due to unsafe handling of user-controlled inputs.
How do I fix GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp?
To resolve GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp, update conflibot to version 1.2.1 or later.
What versions are affected by GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp?
Versions of conflibot before 1.2.1 are affected by GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp.
What type of vulnerability is GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp classified as?
GHSA-2qvg-qr73-mqxp is classified as an OS Command Injection vulnerability.