GHSA-2m9h-r57g-45pj — v2
Fix: cli/cli@1136764GHSA-2m9h-r57g-45pj is a Path Traversal vulnerability in github.com/cli/cli/v2. A fix is available for github.com/cli/cli/v2 — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Downloading malicious GitHub Actions workflow artifact results in path traversal vulnerability
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 GHSA-2m9h-r57g-45pj.
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.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/cli/cli/v2🐹github.com/cli/cliReal-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
Summary
A security vulnerability has been identified in GitHub CLI that could create or overwrite files in unintended directories when users download a malicious GitHub Actions workflow artifact through gh run download.
Details
This vulnerability stems from a GitHub Actions workflow artifact named .. when downloaded using gh run download. The artifact name and --dir flag are used to determine the artifact’s download path. When the artifact is named .., the resulting files within the artifact are extracted exactly 1 directory higher than the specified --dir flag value.
In 2.63.1, gh run download will not download artifacts named .. and . and instead exit with the following error message:
error downloading ..: would result in path traversal
Impact
Successful exploitation heightens the risk of local path traversal attack vectors exactly 1 directory higher than intended.
Remediation and Mitigation
- Upgrade
ghto2.63.1 - Implement additional validation to ensure artifact filenames do not contain potentially dangerous patterns, such as
.., to prevent path traversal risks.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/cli/cli/v2 | all versions | 2.63.1go get github.com/cli/cli/v2@v2.63.1 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/cli/cli | all versions | No fix |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/cli/cli/v2, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/cli/cli/v2 to 2.63.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-2m9h-r57g-45pj 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 GHSA-2m9h-r57g-45pj can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-2m9h-r57g-45pj. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-2m9h-r57g-45pj in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-2m9h-r57g-45pj across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.