CVE-2025-11578 json
Pre-Receive Hook Path Collision Vulnerability in GitHub Enterprise Server Allowing Privilege Escalation
published last yr. modified last mo. also EUVD-2025-50831
- cvss
- 7.2
- version 3.1, NVD
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 0.7%
- EPSS 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 53%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
A privilege escalation vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed an authenticated Enterprise admin to gain root SSH access to the appliance by exploiting a symlink escape in pre-receive hook environments. By crafting a malicious repository and environment, an attacker could replace system binaries during hook cleanup and execute a payload that adds their own SSH key to the root user’s authorized keys—thereby granting themselves root SSH access to the server. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needed to have enterprise admin privileges. This vulnerability affected all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server prior to 3.19, and was fixed in versions 3.14.20, 3.15.15, 3.16.11, 3.17.8, 3.18.2. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program.
Patch / fix
- GitHub Enterprise Server 3.14.20, 3.15.15, 3.16.11, 3.17.8, 3.18.2
Is CVE-2025-11578 in your stack? Fencer shows which of your repositories are affected as soon as an advisory lands, and opens the fix as a pull request.
Check with FencerCISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
- Assessed
- 11mo ago
Exploit prediction
0.71% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 53% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-11).
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | 4.0 | 7.5 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| CNA | 4.0 | 7.5 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X |
| NVD | 3.1 | 7.2 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
Affected products
- GitHub Enterprise Server
Classification
- Weakness
-
- CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access
References
-
docs.github.com
/en/enterprise-server@3.14/admin/release-notes#3.14.20
release-notes, vendor-advisory
-
docs.github.com
/en/enterprise-server@3.15/admin/release-notes#3.15.15
release-notes, vendor-advisory
-
docs.github.com
/en/enterprise-server@3.16/admin/release-notes#3.16.11
release-notes, vendor-advisory
-
docs.github.com
/en/enterprise-server@3.17/admin/release-notes#3.17.8
release-notes, vendor-advisory
-
docs.github.com
/en/enterprise-server@3.18/admin/release-notes#3.18.2
release-notes, vendor-advisory
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2025-11578
- NVD CVE-2025-11578
Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.
CPEs and fixed versions use Anchore's correction of NVD's data: Added CPE configurations because not yet analyzed by NVD.