CVE-2026-48501

GitHub CLI incorrectly includes an authorization header in API requests to TUF repository mirrors via gh attestation, gh release verify, and gh release verify-asset commands.

Affected users:

• Authenticated github.com users who previously ran gh attestation commands, gh release verify, or gh release verify-asset: the github.com token was included in requests to tuf-repo.github.com, a GitHub Pages domain that is not a GitHub API endpoint. All authentication types are affected.
• Users with GH_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN or GITHUB_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN set who previously ran gh attestation commands, gh release verify, or gh release verify-asset: the enterprise token was included in requests to external hosts tuf-repo-cdn.sigstore.dev and tmaproduction.blob.core.windows.net. These hosts are not operated by GitHub.

Details

The CLI uses a shared HTTP client with an authentication layer that automatically attaches tokens to outgoing requests. This layer lacks accurate host detection and can incorrectly attribute the target host, providing it with a token it should never receive.

Specifically, the host normalization logic collapses any *.github.com subdomain to github.com, so a request to tuf-repo.github.com (a GitHub Pages site, not a GitHub API endpoint) is treated as a request to github.com and receives the user's github.com token. For hosts that don't match github.com or a known GHES instance at all, the resolver falls back to GH_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN if set.

The gh attestation, gh release verify and gh release verify-asset commands fetch data from several external hosts as part of their normal operation (TUF metadata from tuf-repo.github.com and tuf-repo-cdn.sigstore.dev, artifact bundles from Azure Blob Storage). Because these requests go through the same authenticated HTTP client, the token is sent to all of them.

Remediation and mitigation

1. Revoke authentication tokens used with the GitHub CLI:
   • Personal access tokens
   • GitHub CLI OAuth app
2. Upgrade gh to 2.93.0.
3. Review personal security logs and any relevant audit logs for actions associated with personal or enterprise accounts.

Tokens were transmitted in HTTP headers to the listed hosts during normal gh attestation, gh release verify, and gh release verify-asset operations. There is no evidence that tokens were logged, retained, or accessed by unauthorized parties. If a token were captured, it would grant the same access as the token holder, potentially including private repositories, organization resources, or enterprise administration depending on token type and permissions.

The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.

CVE-2026-48501 has a CVSS score of 7.4 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (2.93.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2026-48501? CVE-2026-48501 is a high-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in github.com/cli/cli/v2 (go), affecting versions <= 2.92.0. It is fixed in 2.93.0. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-48501? CVE-2026-48501 has a CVSS score of 7.4 (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.
3. Which versions of github.com/cli/cli/v2 are affected by CVE-2026-48501? github.com/cli/cli/v2 (go) versions <= 2.92.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-48501? Yes. CVE-2026-48501 is fixed in 2.93.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-48501 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-48501 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-48501 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-48501? Upgrade github.com/cli/cli/v2 to 2.93.0 or later.