Summary
Data written to GitHub Actions Cache may expose secrets
Remediation
While upgrading to the latest version of the Gradle Build Action will prevent leakage of secrets going forward, additional actions may be required due to current or previous GitHub Actions Cache entries containing this information.
Current cache entries will remain vulnerable until they are forcibly deleted or they expire naturally after 7 days of not being used. Potentially vulnerable entries can be easily identified in the GitHub UI by searching for a cache entry with key matching configuration-cache-*. We recommend that users of the Gradle Build Action inspect their list of cache entries and manually delete any that match this pattern.
While we have not seen any evidence of this vulnerability being exploited, we recommend cycling any repository secrets if you cannot be certain that these have not been compromised. Compromise could occur if you run a GitHub Actions workflow for a pull request attempting to exploit this data.
Warning signs to look for in a pull request include:
- Making changes to GitHub Actions workflow files in a way that may attempt to read/extract data from the Gradle User Home or /.gradle directories.
- Making changes to Gradle build files or other executable files that may be invoked by a GitHub Actions workflow, in a way that may attempt to read/extract information from these locations.
Workarounds
We strongly recommend that all users upgrade to the latest version of the Gradle Build Action as soon as possible, and delete any potentially vulnerable cache entries from the GitHub Actions cache (see Remediation).
If for some reason this is not possible, users can limit the impact of this vulnerability:
- If the Gradle project does not opt-in to using the configuration cache, then it is not vulnerable.
- If the Gradle project does opt-in to using the configuration-cache by default, then the
--no-configuration-cachecommand-line argument can be used to disable this feature in a GitHub Actions workflow.
In any case, we recommend that users carefully inspect any pull request before approving the execution of GitHub Actions workflows. It may be prudent to require approval for all PRs from external contributors, as described here.
Impact
This vulnerability impacts GitHub workflows using the Gradle Build Action that have executed the Gradle Build Tool with the configuration cache enabled, potentially exposing secrets configured for the repository.
Secrets configured for GitHub Actions are normally passed to the Gradle Build Tool via environment variables. Due to the way that the Gradle Build Tool records these environment variables, they may be persisted into an entry in the GitHub Actions cache. This data stored in the GitHub Actions cache can be read by a GitHub Actions workflow running in an untrusted context, such as that running for a Pull Request submitted by a developer via a repository fork.
This vulnerability was discovered internally through code review, and we have not seen any evidence of it being exploited in the wild. However, in addition to upgrading the Gradle Build Action, you should delete any potentially vulnerable cache entries and may choose to rotate any potentially affected secrets (see Remediation).
CVE-2023-30853 has a CVSS score of 7.6 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.4.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Gradle Build Action v2.4.2 (and newer) no longer save this sensitive data for later use, preventing ongoing leakage of secrets via the GitHub Actions Cache. We strongly recommend that all users of the Gradle Build Action upgrade to v2.4.2 (or simply v2) immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-30853? CVE-2023-30853 is a high-severity security vulnerability in gradle/gradle-build-action (actions), affecting versions < 2.4.2. It is fixed in 2.4.2.
- How severe is CVE-2023-30853? CVE-2023-30853 has a CVSS score of 7.6 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of gradle/gradle-build-action are affected by CVE-2023-30853? gradle/gradle-build-action (actions) versions < 2.4.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-30853? Yes. CVE-2023-30853 is fixed in 2.4.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-30853 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-30853 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-30853 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-30853? Upgrade
gradle/gradle-build-actionto 2.4.2 or later.