Github's CodeQL action is provided to run CodeQL-based code scanning on non-GitHub CI/CD systems and requires a GitHub access token to connect to a GitHub repository. The runner and its documentation previously suggested passing the GitHub token as a command-line parameter to the process instead of reading it from a file, standard input, or an environment variable. This approach made the token visible to other processes on the same machine, for example in the output of the `ps` command. If the CI system publicly exposes the output of `ps`, for example by logging the output, then the GitHub access token can be exposed beyond the scope intended. Users of the CodeQL runner on 3rd-party systems, who are passing a GitHub token via the `--github-auth` flag, are affected. This applies to both GitHub.com and GitHub Enterprise users. Users of the CodeQL Action on GitHub Actions are not affected. The `--github-auth` flag is now considered insecure and deprecated. The undocumented `--external-repository-token` flag has been removed. To securely provide a GitHub access token to the CodeQL runner, users should **do one of the following instead**: Use the `--github-auth-stdin` flag and pass the token on the command line via standard input OR set the `GITHUB_TOKEN` environment variable to contain the token, then call the command without passing in the token. The old flag remains present for backwards compatibility with existing workflows. If the user tries to specify an access token using the `--github-auth` flag, there is a deprecation warning printed to the terminal that directs the user to one of the above options. All CodeQL runner releases codeql-bundle-20210304 onwards contain the patches. We recommend updating to a recent version of the CodeQL runner, storing a token in your CI system's secret storage mechanism, and passing the token to the CodeQL runner using `--github-auth-stdin` or the `GITHUB_TOKEN` environment variable. If still using the old flag, ensure that process output, such as from `ps`, is not persisted in CI logs.

Threat-Mapped Scoring

Score: 0.0

Priority: Unclassified

EPSS

Score: 0.00073
Percentile: 0.2275

CVSS Scoring

Mapped CWE(s)

• CWE-200 : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
• CWE-214 : Invocation of Process Using Visible Sensitive Information

All CAPEC(s)

CAPEC(s) with Mapped TTPs

Mapped ATT&CK TTPs

• T1562.003 : Impair Command History Logging
  Kill Chain: defense-evasion
• T1574.006 : Dynamic Linker Hijacking
  Kill Chain: persistence
• T1574.007 : Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable
  Kill Chain: persistence
• T1217 : Browser Information Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1592 : Gather Victim Host Information
  Kill Chain: reconnaissance
• T1595 : Active Scanning
  Kill Chain: reconnaissance
• T1018 : Remote System Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1124 : System Time Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1046 : Network Service Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1016 : System Network Configuration Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1049 : System Network Connections Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1590 : Gather Victim Network Information
  Kill Chain: reconnaissance
• T1082 : System Information Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1082 : System Information Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1083 : File and Directory Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1057 : Process Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1007 : System Service Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1087 : Account Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1069 : Permission Groups Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1615 : Group Policy Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1033 : System Owner/User Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1134.001 : Token Impersonation/Theft
  Kill Chain: defense-evasion
• T1550.004 : Web Session Cookie
  Kill Chain: defense-evasion
• T1036.005 : Match Legitimate Resource Name or Location
  Kill Chain: defense-evasion
• T1135 : Network Share Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1120 : Peripheral Device Discovery
  Kill Chain: discovery
• T1111 : Multi-Factor Authentication Interception
  Kill Chain: credential-access

Malware

APTs Threat Group Associations

Campaigns

Affected Products

• cpe:2.3:a:github:codeql_action:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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