CVE-2022-39304 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5) CWE-209 vulnerability in github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallation. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallation — see the affected versions and patch details below.
ghinstallation returns app JWT in error responses
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2022-39304.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2022-39304 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,636 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallationReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
In ghinstallation v1, when the request to refresh an installation token failed, the HTTP request and response would be returned for debugging.
The request contained the bearer JWT for the App, and was returned back to clients. This token is short lived (10 minute maximum).
Patches
- This has already been patched in d24f14f8be70d94129d76026e8b0f4f9170c8c3e, and is available in releases >= v2.0.0.
References
Are there any links users can visit to find out more?
- See https://docs.github.com/en/developers/apps/building-github-apps/authenticating-with-github-apps#authenticating-as-an-installation for the App installation flow.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in ghinstallation
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallation | all versions | 2.0.0go get github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallation@v2.0.0 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallation, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallation to 2.0.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-39304 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2022-39304 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2022-39304. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-39304 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2022-39304 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.