Codeql CliApplication · GitHub
CVE-2024-25129
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 · uneditedThe CodeQL CLI repo holds binaries for the CodeQL command line interface (CLI). Prior to version 2.16.3, an XML parser used by the CodeQL CLI to read various auxiliary files is vulnerable to an XML External Entity attack. If a vulnerable version of the CLI is used to process either a maliciously modified CodeQL database, or a specially prepared set of QL query sources, the CLI can be made to make an outgoing HTTP request to an URL that contains material read from a local file chosen by the attacker. This may result in a loss of privacy of exfiltration of secrets. Security researchers and QL authors who receive databases or QL source files from untrusted sources may be impacted. A single untrusted `.ql` or `.qll` file cannot be affected, but a zip archive or tarball containing QL sources may unpack auxiliary files that will trigger an attack when CodeQL sees them in the file system. Those using CodeQL for routine analysis of source trees with a preselected set of trusted queries are not affected. In particular, extracting XML files from a source tree into the CodeQL database does not make one vulnerable. The problem is fixed in release 2.16.3 of the CodeQL CLI. Other than upgrading, workarounds include not accepting CodeQL databases or queries from untrusted sources, or only processing such material on a machine without an Internet connection. Customers who use older releases of CodeQL for security scanning in an automated CI system and cannot upgrade for compliance reasons can continue using that version. That use case is safe. If such customers have a private query pack and use the `codeql pack create` command to precompile them before using them in the CI system, they should be using the production CodeQL release to run `codeql pack create`. That command is safe as long as the QL source it precompiled is trusted. All other development of the query pack should use an upgraded CLI.
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 confidenceThe CodeQL CLI contains a vulnerable XML parser used to read auxiliary files, which is susceptible to XML External Entity (XXE) attacks. When processing a maliciously crafted CodeQL database or QL query sources (particularly from zip archives or tarballs), the CLI can be induced to make outbound HTTP requests that exfiltrate local file contents to an attacker-controlled URL.
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
Codeql CliApplication
< 2.16.3CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 if CodeQL CLI is installedRun 'codeql --version' in your terminal, or look for the codeql executable in common paths like /usr/local/bin/, ~/codeql/, or on Windows at C:\Program Files\GitHub\CodeQL\Affected if The codeql command executes and returns version information
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Identify the installed CodeQL CLI versionExecute 'codeql --version' and note the full version number in the output (format typically shows version and build date)Affected if A version number is displayed in the output
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Compare version against affected rangeParse the version number from step 2 and verify if it is less than 2.16.3 (for example, 2.16.0, 2.15.5, 2.14.0 are all vulnerable; 2.16.3 and later are not)Affected if Installed version is less than 2.16.3
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Determine if you process untrusted CodeQL sourcesReview your workflows to identify whether you import CodeQL databases, load QL query sources, or extract archives (.zip, .tar.gz) from untrusted or external sourcesAffected if You process CodeQL databases, QL queries, or archives from untrusted or unknown sources
You are affected if the installed CodeQL CLI version is below 2.16.3 AND you process CodeQL databases or QL query sources from untrusted origins.
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 · scoped2.16.3
Upgrade CodeQL CLI to version 2.16.3 or later. As a workaround, avoid processing CodeQL databases or queries from untrusted sources, or perform such processing on an offline machine.
CodeQL CLI 2.16.3
- Download CodeQL CLI version 2.16.3 or later from the official GitHub releases (github.com/github/codeql-cli-binaries)
- Replace the existing CodeQL CLI installation with the new version
- Verify the installation by running `codeql --version` to confirm the version is 2.16.3 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Codeql Cli
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,968.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-25129 — 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-2024-25129 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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