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GitHub CLI has an incorrect authorization header in API requests to TUF repository mirrors via `gh attestation`, `gh release verify`, and `gh release verify-asset` commands

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 27, 2026 in cli/cli • Updated Jun 9, 2026

Package

gomod github.com/cli/cli/v2 (Go)

Affected versions

<= 2.92.0

Patched versions

2.93.0

Description

Summary

GitHub CLI incorrectly includes an authorization header in API requests to TUF repository mirrors via gh attestation, gh release verify, and gh release verify-asset commands.

Affected users:

  • Authenticated github.com users who previously ran gh attestation commands, gh release verify, or gh release verify-asset: the github.com token was included in requests to tuf-repo.github.com, a GitHub Pages domain that is not a GitHub API endpoint. All authentication types are affected.
  • Users with GH_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN or GITHUB_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN set who previously ran gh attestation commands, gh release verify, or gh release verify-asset: the enterprise token was included in requests to external hosts tuf-repo-cdn.sigstore.dev and tmaproduction.blob.core.windows.net. These hosts are not operated by GitHub.

Details

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.

Impact

Tokens were transmitted in HTTP headers to the listed hosts during normal gh attestation, gh release verify, and gh release verify-asset operations. There is no evidence that tokens were logged, retained, or accessed by unauthorized parties. If a token were captured, it would grant the same access as the token holder, potentially including private repositories, organization resources, or enterprise administration depending on token type and permissions.

Remediation and mitigation

  1. Revoke authentication tokens used with the GitHub CLI:
  2. Upgrade gh to 2.93.0.
  3. Review personal security logs and any relevant audit logs for actions associated with personal or enterprise accounts.

References

@babakks babakks published to cli/cli May 27, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 29, 2026
Reviewed May 29, 2026
Published by the National Vulnerability Database May 29, 2026
Last updated Jun 9, 2026

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(16th percentile)

Weaknesses

Incorrect Authorization

The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-48501

GHSA ID

GHSA-8xvp-7hj6-mcj9

Source code

Credits

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