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🛡️ CVE-2024-53858 — cli

🟡 CVSS 6.5 — Medium ✅ No Known Exploit NVD
6.5
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

Recursive repository cloning can leak authentication tokens to non-GitHub submodule hosts

Summary

A security vulnerability has been identified in the GitHub CLI that could leak authentication tokens when cloning repositories containing git submodules hosted outside of GitHub.com and ghe.com.

Details

This vulnerability stems from several gh commands used to clone a repository with submodules from a non-GitHub host including gh repo clone, gh repo fork, gh pr checkout. These GitHub CLI commands invoke git with instructions to retrieve authentication tokens using the [credential.helper](https://git-scm.com/docs/gitcredentials) configuration variable for any host encountered.

Prior to 2.63.0, hosts other than GitHub.com and ghe.com are treated as GitHub Enterprise Server hosts and have tokens sourced from the following environment variables before falling back to host-specific tokens stored within system-specific secured storage:

  • GITHUB_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN
  • GH_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN
  • GITHUB_TOKEN _when CODESPACES environment variable is set_

The result being git sending authentication tokens when cloning submodules.

In 2.63.0, these GitHub CLI commands will limit the hosts for which gh acts as a credential helper to source authentication tokens. Additionally, GITHUB_TOKEN will only be used for GitHub.com and ghe.com.

Impact

Successful exploitation could lead to a third-party using leaked authentication tokens to access privileged resources.

Remediation and mitigation

1. Upgrade gh to 2.63.0

2. Revoke authentication tokens used with the GitHub CLI:

  • [Personal access tokens](https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/managing-your-personal-access-tokens)
  • [GitHub CLI OAuth app](https://docs.github.com/en/apps/using-github-apps/reviewing-and-revoking-authorization-of-github-apps#reviewing-your-authorized-github-apps)

3. Review your personal [security log](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/reviewing-your-security-log) and any relevant [audit logs](https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/admin/monitoring-activity-in-your-enterprise/reviewing-audit-logs-for-your-enterprise/identifying-audit-log-events-performed-by-an-access-token) for actions associated with your account or enterprise

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is high, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. A user must be tricked into taking some action. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability low.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

  • Attack vector: Local — a local account, shell or session on the host is needed.
  • Attack complexity: High — the attacker first has to win a race, learn a secret or otherwise prepare the target.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: Required — someone has to click, open or visit something.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Integrity impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Availability impact: Low — limited, and the attacker does not choose what is affected.

Affected software

CVE-2024-53858 is recorded against 3 packages.

  • github.com/cli/cli
  • github.com/cli/cli/v2
  • unknown

Timeline and source

Published on 2 December 2024 and last revised on 4 February 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from NVD.

References

github.com (Advisory)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
git-scm.com (Web)

Other advisories for this package

github.com/cli/cli has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

CVE-2024-53858 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity Medium
CVSS Score 6.5
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2024-12-02
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-02-04
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
github.com/cli/cli — —
github.com/cli/cli/v2 — —
unknown — —

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