CVE-2020-15228Environment Variable Injection in GitHub Actions
- 3.5LowCVSS base score
- 1.5%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 26% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
In the `@actions/core` npm module before version 1.2.6,`addPath` and `exportVariable` functions communicate with the Actions Runner over stdout by generating a string in a specific format. Workflows that log untrusted data to stdout may invoke these commands, resulting in the path or environment variables being modified without the intention of the workflow or action author. The runner will release an update that disables the `set-env` and `add-path` workflow commands in the near future. For now, users should upgrade to `@actions/core v1.2.6` or later, and replace any instance of the `set-env` or `add-path` commands in their workflows with the new Environment File Syntax. Workflows and actions using the old commands or older versions of the toolkit will start to warn, then error out during workflow execution.
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 3 months later
· 3 months later
Published
- 4 years later
· 4 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Low3.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Medium5.0 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 1.5% · top 26% of all CVEs (14 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Low 3.5.
Affected products
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- npm@actions/coreGHSA-mfwh-5m23-j46w (opens in a new tab)
References
References2
- https://github.com/actions/toolkit/security/advisories/GHSA-mfwh-5m23-j46w (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159794/GitHub-Widespread-Injection.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2020-1433 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-mfwh-5m23-j46w (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2020-15228)Record last updated .