How severe is CVE-2023-49291?

CVE-2023-49291 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.3, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2023-49291 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (70th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-49291?

CVE-2023-49291 affects Tj-actions Branch-names. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-49291?

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

When was CVE-2023-49291 published?

CVE-2023-49291 was published on 2023-12-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-49291

CVE-2023-49291 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Tj-actions Branch-names with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.3. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (70th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Tj-actions Branch-names
Published: 2023-12-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

tj-actions/branch-names is a Github action to retrieve branch or tag names with support for all events. The `tj-actions/branch-names` GitHub Actions improperly references the `github.event.pull_request.head.ref` and `github.head_ref` context variables within a GitHub Actions `run` step. The head ref variable is the branch name and can be used to execute arbitrary code using a specially crafted branch name. As a result an attacker can use this vulnerability to steal secrets from or abuse `GITHUB_TOKEN` permissions. This vulnerability has been addressed in version 7.0.7. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-49291?: tj-actions/branch-names is a Github action to retrieve branch or tag names with support for all events. The `tj-actions/branch-names` GitHub Actions improperly references the `github.event.pull_request.head.ref` and `github.head_ref` context variables within a GitHub Actions `run` step. The head ref variable is the branch name and can be used to execute arbitrary code using a specially crafted branch name. As a result an attacker can use this vulnerability to steal secrets from or abuse `GITHUB_TOKEN` permissions. This vulnerability has been addressed in version 7.0.7. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
How severe is CVE-2023-49291?: CVE-2023-49291 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.3, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-49291 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (70th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-49291?: CVE-2023-49291 affects Tj-actions Branch-names. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-49291?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2023-49291 published?: CVE-2023-49291 was published on 2023-12-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:tj-actions:branch-names:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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