Summary
opentelemetry-collector-contrib: githubreceiver silently ignores configured required_headers authentication
githubreceiver Silently Ignores Configured required_headers Authentication
The githubreceiver webhook handler does not enforce the required_headers configuration. Headers are validated at startup (config rejects empty keys/values) but never checked on incoming requests. This follows the same pattern as GHSA-prf6-xjxh-p698 (awsfirehosereceiver auth bypass). Verified against current main.
Details
In receiver/githubreceiver/config.go, the RequiredHeaders field is defined (line 45) and validated at startup (lines 93-101). But receiver/githubreceiver/trace_receiver.go in handleReq() (lines 131-185) never references RequiredHeaders.
The gitlabreceiver enforces the same config correctly at receiver/gitlabreceiver/traces_receiver.go:266-270:
for key, value := range gtr.cfg.WebHook.RequiredHeaders {
if r.Header.Get(key) != string(value) {
return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", errInvalidHeader, key)
}
}
Amplifying factor
The Secret field defaults to empty and has no validation requiring it to be set. With an empty secret, github.ValidatePayload skips HMAC validation entirely. An operator who configures required_headers as their authentication mechanism (without setting secret) has zero authentication on the webhook endpoint.
Impact
An attacker can send arbitrary webhook payloads to the githubreceiver endpoint, bypassing the operator configured authentication. This allows injecting fake CI/CD trace data into the observability pipeline.
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.
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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Add RequiredHeaders enforcement to handleReq(), matching the gitlabreceiver pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-55701? CVE-2026-55701 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/receiver/githubreceiver (go), affecting versions <= 0.150.0. It is fixed in 0.151.0. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- Which versions of github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/receiver/githubreceiver are affected by CVE-2026-55701? github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/receiver/githubreceiver (go) versions <= 0.150.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-55701? Yes. CVE-2026-55701 is fixed in 0.151.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-55701 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-55701 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-2026-55701 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-2026-55701? Upgrade
github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/receiver/githubreceiverto 0.151.0 or later.