How severe is CVE-2023-27581?

CVE-2023-27581 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-27581 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (73rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-27581?

CVE-2023-27581 affects Github-slug-action Project Github-slug-action. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-27581?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2023-27581 published?

CVE-2023-27581 was published on 2023-03-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-27581

CVE-2023-27581 is a high-severity vulnerability in Github-slug-action Project Github-slug-action with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-77.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (73rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-77
Affected product: Github-slug-action Project Github-slug-action
Published: 2023-03-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-27581?: 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.
How severe is CVE-2023-27581?: CVE-2023-27581 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-27581 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (73rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-27581?: CVE-2023-27581 affects Github-slug-action Project Github-slug-action. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-27581?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2023-27581 published?: CVE-2023-27581 was published on 2023-03-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:github-slug-action_project:github-slug-action:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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