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Insufficiently Protected CredentialsWeakness · CWE-522

CVE-2025-23040

MEDIUM · 6.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-01-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
66/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 · unedited
GitHub Desktop is an open-source Electron-based GitHub app designed for git development. An attacker convincing a user to clone a repository directly or through a submodule can allow the attacker access to the user's credentials through the use of maliciously crafted remote URL. GitHub Desktop relies on Git to perform all network related operations (such as cloning, fetching, and pushing). When a user attempts to clone a repository GitHub Desktop will invoke `git clone` and when Git encounters a remote which requires authentication it will request the credentials for that remote host from GitHub Desktop using the git-credential protocol. Using a maliciously crafted URL it's possible to cause the credential request coming from Git to be misinterpreted by Github Desktop such that it will send credentials for a different host than the host that Git is currently communicating with thereby allowing for secret exfiltration. GitHub username and OAuth token, or credentials for other Git remote hosts stored in GitHub Desktop could be improperly transmitted to an unrelated host. Users should update to GitHub Desktop 3.4.12 or greater which fixes this vulnerability. Users who suspect they may be affected should revoke any relevant credentials.

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 confidence

GitHub Desktop invokes `git clone` for repository operations and uses the git-credential protocol to handle authentication requests from Git. A vulnerability allows maliciously crafted remote URLs to cause GitHub Desktop to misinterpret credential requests, transmitting credentials (GitHub username/OAuth tokens or other stored remote host credentials) to an attacker-controlled host instead of the legitimate target host.

MitigationUpdate GitHub Desktop to version 3.4.12 or later to patch the vulnerability, and revoke any credentials that may have been exposed.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS 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
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed GitHub Desktop version
    Open GitHub Desktop, go to Help > About GitHub Desktop (or on macOS GitHub Desktop > About GitHub Desktop). Note the version number displayed.
    Affected if Version is lower than 3.4.12 (e.g., 3.4.11, 3.4.10, or any earlier version)
  2. Verify if credentials are stored
    Check GitHub Desktop settings: go to File > Options (or on macOS Preferences). Look under 'Accounts' or 'Advanced' for configured authentication credentials such as GitHub accounts, personal access tokens, or stored credentials for other remote hosts.
    Affected if Any GitHub accounts, OAuth tokens, or remote host credentials are configured in GitHub Desktop
  3. Review recent repository operations
    In GitHub Desktop, check the 'History' tab or review recently cloned repositories. Inspect the remote URL (origin) of each repository by right-clicking the repository and selecting 'Repository Settings' > 'Remote'.
    Affected if Any repository was cloned from a URL that is not a known, trusted GitHub domain (github.com, githubusercontent.com) or other established hosting service

You are affected if you are running GitHub Desktop version 3.4.11 or earlier, have stored credentials configured, and have interacted with or may interact with untrusted remote repository URLs.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update GitHub Desktop to version 3.4.12 or later to patch the vulnerability, and revoke any credentials that may have been exposed.

Recommended fix High confidence

GitHub Desktop 3.4.12 or greater

  1. Check current GitHub Desktop version by navigating to GitHub Desktop > About GitHub Desktop (on Mac) or Help > About GitHub Desktop (on Windows)
  2. Download the latest version of GitHub Desktop from the official GitHub Desktop website or update through the application's built-in update mechanism
  3. Install the update, ensuring you install version 3.4.12 or later
  4. After updating, verify the new version by checking About GitHub Desktop again to confirm the version number is 3.4.12 or greater
  5. Review your stored credentials in GitHub Desktop and consider revoking any OAuth tokens or credentials that may have been exposed, as a precautionary measure

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,050
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,880.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-23040 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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