CVE-2026-3854: CWE-77 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection') in GitHub Enterprise Server
An improper neutralization of special elements vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed an attacker with push access to a repository to achieve remote code execution on the instance. During a git push operation, user-supplied push option values were not properly sanitized before being included in internal service headers. Because the internal header format used a delimiter character that could also appear in user input, an attacker could inject additional metadata fields through crafted push option values. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program and has been fixed in GitHub Enterprise Server versions 3.14.25, 3.15.20, 3.16.16, 3.17.13, 3.18.7 and 3.19.4.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
An improper neutralization of special elements vulnerability (CWE-77) in GitHub Enterprise Server allows remote code execution by injecting malicious metadata through crafted push option values during git push operations. The internal header format uses a delimiter that can appear in user input, which was not properly sanitized, enabling attackers with push access to inject additional metadata fields. This vulnerability was responsibly disclosed via the GitHub Bug Bounty program and affects versions 3.14.0 through 3.19.0. Fixed versions include 3.14.25, 3.15.20, 3.16.16, 3.17.13, 3.18.7, and 3.19.4.
Potential Impact
An attacker with push access to a repository can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code remotely on the GitHub Enterprise Server instance. This can lead to full compromise of the affected server, potentially impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system and hosted repositories. The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.7 reflects the high impact and ease of exploitation without user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
Official patches addressing this vulnerability have been released in GitHub Enterprise Server versions 3.14.25, 3.15.20, 3.16.16, 3.17.13, 3.18.7, and 3.19.4. It is strongly recommended to upgrade affected instances to one of these fixed versions to remediate the vulnerability. No alternative mitigations or workarounds are indicated in the advisory.
CVE-2026-3854: CWE-77 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection') in GitHub Enterprise Server
Description
An improper neutralization of special elements vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed an attacker with push access to a repository to achieve remote code execution on the instance. During a git push operation, user-supplied push option values were not properly sanitized before being included in internal service headers. Because the internal header format used a delimiter character that could also appear in user input, an attacker could inject additional metadata fields through crafted push option values. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program and has been fixed in GitHub Enterprise Server versions 3.14.25, 3.15.20, 3.16.16, 3.17.13, 3.18.7 and 3.19.4.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
An improper neutralization of special elements vulnerability (CWE-77) in GitHub Enterprise Server allows remote code execution by injecting malicious metadata through crafted push option values during git push operations. The internal header format uses a delimiter that can appear in user input, which was not properly sanitized, enabling attackers with push access to inject additional metadata fields. This vulnerability was responsibly disclosed via the GitHub Bug Bounty program and affects versions 3.14.0 through 3.19.0. Fixed versions include 3.14.25, 3.15.20, 3.16.16, 3.17.13, 3.18.7, and 3.19.4.
Potential Impact
An attacker with push access to a repository can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code remotely on the GitHub Enterprise Server instance. This can lead to full compromise of the affected server, potentially impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system and hosted repositories. The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.7 reflects the high impact and ease of exploitation without user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
Official patches addressing this vulnerability have been released in GitHub Enterprise Server versions 3.14.25, 3.15.20, 3.16.16, 3.17.13, 3.18.7, and 3.19.4. It is strongly recommended to upgrade affected instances to one of these fixed versions to remediate the vulnerability. No alternative mitigations or workarounds are indicated in the advisory.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_P
- Date Reserved
- 2026-03-09T20:19:58.513Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 69b059afea502d3aa881750d
Added to database: 3/10/2026, 5:49:35 PM
Last enriched: 4/18/2026, 1:46:27 PM
Last updated: 4/28/2026, 7:27:31 AM
Views: 348
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