Enterprise ServerApplication · GitHub
CVE-2025-3246
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 improper neutralization of input vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed cross-site scripting in GitHub Markdown that used `$$..$$` math blocks. Exploitation required access to the target GitHub Enterprise Server instance and privileged user interaction with the malicious elements. This vulnerability affected version 3.16.1 of GitHub Enterprise Server and was fixed in version 3.16.2. 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 confidenceA cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability existed in GitHub Enterprise Server's Markdown rendering engine where math blocks using $$..$$ syntax were not properly sanitized, allowing injection of malicious script content that would execute when viewed by privileged users.
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
= 3.16.1CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/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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Identify GitHub Enterprise Server versionAccess the GitHub Enterprise Server admin console or run 'ghe-version' in the administrative shell to retrieve the installed version numberAffected if The installed version is exactly 3.16.1 (no other versions are affected by this CVE)
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Confirm Markdown rendering is activeReview the site admin settings under 'Markdown' or 'Content' sections to verify markdown rendering is enabledAffected if Markdown rendering is enabled (this is the default state in GitHub Enterprise Server)
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Locate math block usage in repositoriesSearch repository content for the $$ character sequence which indicates math blocks using LaTeX-style syntax ($$..$$)Affected if Content containing $$..$$ math blocks exists and is accessible to users
You are affected only if your GitHub Enterprise Server is exactly version 3.16.1 and markdown rendering is enabled, regardless of whether math blocks are currently present in your content
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade GitHub Enterprise Server to version 3.16.2 or later to apply the patch that properly neutralizes input in math block rendering.
Upgrade from GitHub Enterprise Server 3.16.1 to version 3.16.2
- Back up your GitHub Enterprise Server instance data and configuration before proceeding with the upgrade
- Review the GitHub Enterprise Server 3.16.2 release notes and upgrade prerequisites at docs.github.com
- Download the GitHub Enterprise Server 3.16.2 upgrade package from the GitHub Enterprise downloads portal
- Execute the upgrade following the standard GitHub Enterprise Server upgrade procedure (use the administrative console or backup-utils as appropriate for your setup)
- Verify the upgrade completed successfully by checking the administrative console status
- Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by testing that $$..$$ math blocks in Markdown no longer execute arbitrary JavaScript
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Enterprise Server
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $2,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-3246 — 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-2025-3246 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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