github-slug-action vulnerable to arbitrary code execution

{
  "id": "21cdc2fb1a8ee94b57286ec4bbb8d54dc057c1ac9f767ce6fd9d1c9cbf080edf",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-27581",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "github-slug-action vulnerable to arbitrary code execution",
    "summary": "github-slug-action is a GitHub Action to expose slug value of GitHub environment variables inside of one's GitHub workflow. Starting in version 4.0.0` and prior to version 4.4.1, this action uses the `github.head_ref` parameter in an insecure way. This vulnerability can be triggered by any user on GitHub on any workflow using the action on pull requests. They just need to create a pull request with a branch name, which can contain the attack payload. This can be used to execute code on the GitHub runners and to exfiltrate any secrets one uses in the CI pipeline. A patched action is available in version 4.4.1. No workaround is available.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2023-27581",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "high",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2023-27581",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2023-27581",
        "GHSA-6q4m-7476-932w"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/rlespinasse/github-slug-action",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "bd31a9f564f7930eea1ecfc8d0e6aebc4bc3279f"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "102b1a064a9b145e56556e22b18b19c624538d94"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "4.0.0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "4.4.1"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "AFFECTED_FIELD",
                    "strategy": "StringRangeExpression"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "102b1a064a9b145e56556e22b18b19c624538d94"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "102b1a064a9b145e56556e22b18b19c624538d94"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_TAG",
                    "original_tag": "v4.4.1"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:github-slug-action_project:github-slug-action:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "4.0.0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "4.4.1"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "v4.4.0",
            "v4.3.2",
            "v4.3.1",
            "v4.3.0",
            "v4.2.5",
            "4.2.5",
            "4.2.4",
            "4.2.3",
            "4.2.2",
            "4.2.1",
            "4.2.0",
            "4.1.0",
            "4.0.1",
            "4.0.0"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-27581.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:37.694769961Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/rlespinasse/github-slug-action/releases/tag/v4.4.1",
        "https://securitylab.github.com/research/github-actions-untrusted-input/",
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/27xxx/CVE-2023-27581.json",
        "https://github.com/rlespinasse/github-slug-action/security/advisories/GHSA-6q4m-7476-932w",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-27581",
        "https://github.com/rlespinasse/github-slug-action/commit/102b1a064a9b145e56556e22b18b19c624538d94"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cwe_ids": [
          "CWE-77"
        ],
        "cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/27xxx/CVE-2023-27581.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2023-27581",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 505150,
  "published_at": "2023-03-13T20:19:23.35+00:00"
}