How severe is CVE-2021-22865?

CVE-2021-22865 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-22865 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (67th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-22865?

CVE-2021-22865 affects Github Enterprise Server. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-22865?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-22865 published?

CVE-2021-22865 was published on 2021-04-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-22865

CVE-2021-22865 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Github Enterprise Server with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-285.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (67th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-285
Affected product: Github Enterprise Server
Published: 2021-04-02
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An improper access control vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed access tokens generated from a GitHub App's web authentication flow to read private repository metadata via the REST API without having been granted the appropriate permissions. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to create a GitHub App on the instance and have a user authorize the application through the web authentication flow. The private repository metadata returned would be limited to repositories owned by the user the token identifies. This vulnerability affected all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server prior to 3.0.4 and was fixed in versions 3.0.4, 2.22.10, 2.21.18. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-22865?: An improper access control vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed access tokens generated from a GitHub App's web authentication flow to read private repository metadata via the REST API without having been granted the appropriate permissions. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to create a GitHub App on the instance and have a user authorize the application through the web authentication flow. The private repository metadata returned would be limited to repositories owned by the user the token identifies. This vulnerability affected all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server prior to 3.0.4 and was fixed in versions 3.0.4, 2.22.10, 2.21.18. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program.
How severe is CVE-2021-22865?: CVE-2021-22865 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-22865 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (67th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-22865?: CVE-2021-22865 affects Github Enterprise Server. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-22865?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-22865 published?: CVE-2021-22865 was published on 2021-04-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:github:enterprise_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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