GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234

Server/API for Vela Insecure Variable Substitution

Vela pipelines can use variable substitution combined with insensitive fields like parameters, image and entrypoint to inject secrets into a plugin/image and, by using common substitution string manipulation, can bypass log masking and expose secrets without the use of the commands block. This unexpected behavior primarily impacts secrets restricted by the "no commands" option. This can lead to unintended use of the secret value, and increased risk of exposing the secret during image execution bypassing log masking.

Given by the following substitution examples:
using parameters

steps:
  - name: example
    image: <some plugin>
    secrets: [ example_secret ]
    parameters:
      example: $${EXAMPLE_SECRET}

using image tag

steps:
  - name: example
    image: <some plugin>:latest${EXAMPLE_SECRET}
    secrets: [ example_secret ]

using entrypoint as a shim for commands

steps:
  - name: example
    image: <some plugin>
    secrets: [ example_secret ]
    entrypoint:
      [
        "sh",
        "-c",
        "echo $EXAMPLE_SECRET",
      ]

To exploit this the pipeline author must be supplying the secrets to a plugin that is designed in such a way that will print those parameters in logs. Plugin parameters are not designed for sensitive values and are often intentionally printed throughout execution for informational/debugging purposes. Parameters should therefore be treated as insensitive.

While Vela provides secrets masking, secrets exposure is not entirely solved by the masking process. A docker image (plugin) can easily expose secrets if they are not handled properly, or altered in some way. There is a responsibility on the end-user to understand how values injected into a plugin are used. This is a risk that exists for many CICD systems (like GitHub Actions) that handle sensitive runtime variables. Rather, the greater risk is that users who restrict a secret to the "no commands" option and use image restriction can still have their secret value exposed via substitution tinkering, which turns the image and command restrictions into a false sense of security.

GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (0.23.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234? GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/go-vela/server (go), affecting versions <= 0.23.1. It is fixed in 0.23.2.
2. How severe is GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234? GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (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/go-vela/server are affected by GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234? github.com/go-vela/server (go) versions <= 0.23.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234? Yes. GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234 is fixed in 0.23.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234 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 GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234 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 GHSA-69P4-J5V5-X234? Upgrade github.com/go-vela/server to 0.23.2 or later.

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/go-vela/server