CVE-2025-54956 is a vulnerability identified in the 'gh' package for the R programming language, maintained by the r-lib project. This package is commonly used to interact with GitHub's API, facilitating automation and data retrieval within R environments. The vulnerability arises because versions of the 'gh' package prior to 1.5.0 improperly handle HTTP responses by including the Authorization header from the corresponding HTTP request within the returned data structure. This behavior constitutes an 'Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres' (CWE-669), where sensitive information (the Authorization header containing tokens or credentials) is inadvertently exposed in contexts where it should not be accessible. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.2, indicating a low severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N) reveals that the attack vector requires local access (AV:L), has high attack complexity (AC:H), requires no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is changed (S:C), and the impact is limited to confidentiality (C:L) with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no patches are linked yet. The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of authorization tokens if an attacker has local access to the environment or can execute code that inspects the HTTP response data structures. This could facilitate further attacks if tokens are leaked or logged improperly. However, remote exploitation is not feasible without local access, and the high attack complexity reduces the likelihood of exploitation.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-54956 lies in the potential leakage of sensitive authorization tokens used to access GitHub APIs within R environments. Organizations relying on the 'gh' package for automation, data analysis, or CI/CD pipelines could inadvertently expose credentials if local users or processes can access the vulnerable data structures. This could lead to unauthorized access to GitHub repositories, potentially exposing proprietary code or sensitive project information. While the vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach could facilitate further attacks such as code tampering or intellectual property theft. The impact is more pronounced in environments with multiple users or where local access controls are weak. European organizations with strict data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) must consider the risk of credential exposure as a compliance concern. However, given the low severity and requirement for local access, the overall risk is moderate and manageable with proper controls.

To mitigate CVE-2025-54956, European organizations should: 1) Upgrade the 'gh' package to version 1.5.0 or later, where this vulnerability is resolved. 2) Restrict local access to systems running R environments that utilize the 'gh' package, ensuring only trusted users can execute or inspect code and data structures. 3) Implement strict logging policies to avoid recording sensitive headers or tokens in logs or error reports. 4) Use environment variables or secure vaults to manage GitHub tokens rather than embedding them directly in code or requests. 5) Conduct code reviews and audits to detect any inadvertent exposure of Authorization headers in application outputs or debugging information. 6) Employ runtime monitoring to detect unusual access patterns to sensitive data within R sessions. 7) Educate developers and data scientists on secure handling of credentials within R and related tools. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on secure coding practices, access control, and operational hygiene specific to the R 'gh' package context.