Enterprise ServerApplication · GitHub
CVE-2022-23739
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAn incorrect authorization vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server, allowing for escalation of privileges in GraphQL API requests from GitHub Apps. This vulnerability allowed an app installed on an organization to gain access to and modify most organization-level resources that are not tied to a repository regardless of granted permissions, such as users and organization-wide projects. Resources associated with repositories were not impacted, such as repository file content, repository-specific projects, issues, or pull requests. This vulnerability affected all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server prior to 3.7.1 and was fixed in versions 3.3.16, 3.4.11, 3.5.8, 3.6.4, 3.7.1. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceAn authorization bypass in GitHub Enterprise Server's GraphQL API allowed GitHub Apps installed on an organization to access and modify organization-level resources (users, organization-wide projects) regardless of the permissions actually granted to the app. This privilege escalation affected organization-level resources but not repository-specific resources.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Enterprise ServerApplication
< 3.3.16>= 3.4.0, < 3.4.11>= 3.5.0, < 3.5.8>= 3.6.0, < 3.6.4= 3.7.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check GitHub Enterprise Server versionAccess the GitHub Enterprise Server management console or use the administrative API to retrieve the current version. Compare the installed version number against the affected ranges: < 3.3.16, 3.4.0-3.4.10, 3.5.0-3.5.7, 3.6.0-3.6.3, and 3.7.0Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges
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Identify GitHub Apps installed on organizationsNavigate to each organization's settings page in the GitHub Enterprise Server web interface, or use the GraphQL API query { organizations { nodes { apps { nodes { name, permissions } } } } } to list installed GitHub AppsAffected if Any GitHub Apps are installed on organizations in the affected version
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Review organization-wide projectsList organization-wide projects within each organization using the Projects API or by navigating to the Projects tab at the organization level. Note that repository-specific projects are not affected by this vulnerabilityAffected if Organization-wide projects exist and the server runs an affected version
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Examine audit logs for GraphQL API access to organization resourcesSearch the enterprise audit log for GraphQL queries accessing organization-level resources such as organization members or organization projects. Filter for events containing 'org' and 'graphql' in the timestamp range when the affected version was in useAffected if Audit logs show GraphQL API queries to organization resources that may have been made by under-privileged GitHub Apps
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Review GitHub App permission grantsFor each installed GitHub App, examine the permissions granted during installation. Compare the declared permissions against actual access patterns visible in audit logs, specifically looking for organization-level resource access beyond what was grantedAffected if A GitHub App accessed organization resources (users, organization-wide projects) without corresponding permissions granted
A user is affected if their GitHub Enterprise Server runs an affected version and has GitHub Apps installed that could have accessed organization-level resources beyond their granted permissions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped3.3.163.4.113.5.8
Upgrade GitHub Enterprise Server to version 3.3.16, 3.4.11, 3.5.8, 3.6.4, 3.7.1 or later. Review GitHub App installations and their authorized scopes in affected organizations.
3.7.1 (or nearest fixed version: 3.3.16, 3.4.11, 3.5.8, or 3.6.4)
- 1. Identify the current GitHub Enterprise Server version by checking the administrative web interface or running the 'ghe-version' command.
- 2. Determine the appropriate upgrade path based on current version: upgrade to 3.3.16 (if <3.4.0), 3.4.11 (if >=3.4.0 and <3.5.0), 3.5.8 (if >=3.5.0 and <3.6.0), 3.6.4 (if >=3.6.0 and <3.7.0), or 3.7.1 (any version).
- 3. Review GitHub Enterprise Server upgrade documentation and ensure backup procedures are in place.
- 4. Perform the upgrade following GitHub's standard upgrade procedures for the Enterprise Server platform.
- 5. After upgrade, verify the GraphQL API authorization behavior for GitHub Apps to confirm the vulnerability is remediated.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Enterprise Server
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,040.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-23739 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-23739 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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