CVE-2016-10526 in gh-pages
Summary
by MITRE
A common setup to deploy to gh-pages on every commit via a CI system is to expose a github token to ENV and to use it directly in the auth part of the url. In module versions < 0.9.1 the auth portion of the url is outputted as part of the grunt tasks logging function. If this output is publicly available then the credentials should be considered compromised.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2023
This vulnerability exists in grunt-contrib-gh-pages module versions prior to 0.9.1 and represents a critical security flaw in continuous integration deployment workflows. The issue stems from improper handling of authentication credentials within the module's logging mechanism, where the entire URL including the GitHub token is displayed in task output logs. This exposes a fundamental weakness in credential management practices within automated deployment systems, particularly those utilizing CI platforms that publish content to GitHub Pages. The vulnerability is classified as a credential exposure issue that directly violates security best practices for handling sensitive information in automated environments.
The technical flaw manifests when the grunt-contrib-gh-pages module processes deployment commands and outputs the complete URL string containing the GitHub personal access token as part of its logging function. This occurs because the module does not sanitize or redact authentication components from the URL before logging them to the console or output streams. When CI systems execute these tasks and capture the output for logging or display purposes, the exposed credentials become accessible to anyone with access to these logs or output streams. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the common practice of embedding GitHub tokens directly into URLs within CI configuration files, which is a widespread but insecure pattern in deployment automation workflows.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations using automated deployment pipelines. When GitHub tokens are exposed in logs, attackers can immediately gain unauthorized access to repositories, potentially leading to code injection, data exfiltration, repository modification, or complete compromise of the deployment infrastructure. The vulnerability affects any system using grunt-contrib-gh-pages versions below 0.9.1 in CI environments where logs are publicly accessible or retained in accessible locations. This includes not only the immediate deployment capabilities but also the broader security posture of organizations that rely on automated publishing workflows, as compromised tokens can be used to access multiple repositories and perform unauthorized actions across the GitHub ecosystem.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to grunt-contrib-gh-pages version 0.9.1 or later to address this vulnerability, which implements proper credential sanitization in logging outputs. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of CI/CD pipelines to identify and revoke any compromised tokens that may have been exposed in public logs, particularly in environments where build artifacts and logs are retained for extended periods. The remediation process should include implementing proper credential management practices such as using environment variables for token storage, implementing token rotation procedures, and ensuring that logging mechanisms do not expose authentication information. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-209, which addresses improper handling of sensitive information in logging, and represents a clear violation of ATT&CK technique T1531 for credential access through compromised credentials, making it a critical priority for immediate remediation across all affected systems.