Enterprise ServerApplication · GitHub
CVE-2025-3509
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 · uneditedA Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting the pre-receive hook functionality, potentially leading to privilege escalation and system compromise. The vulnerability involves using dynamically allocated ports that become temporarily available, such as during a hot patch upgrade. This means the vulnerability is only exploitable during specific operational conditions, which limits the attack window. Exploitation required either site administrator permissions to enable and configure pre-receive hooks or a user with permissions to modify repositories containing pre-receive hooks where this functionality was already enabled. This vulnerability affected all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server prior to 3.18 and was fixed in versions 3.17.1, 3.16.4, 3.15.8, 3.14.13, 3.13.16. 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 Remote Code Execution vulnerability in GitHub Enterprise Server's pre-receive hook functionality allows attackers with site administrator permissions or repository modification rights to execute arbitrary code. The attack exploits dynamically allocated ports that become temporarily available during hot patch upgrades. This limited attack window and requirement for specific permissions somewhat constrains exploitation but the impact if exploited is severe.
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
< 3.13.16>= 3.14.0, < 3.14.13>= 3.15.0, < 3.15.8>= 3.16.0, < 3.16.4>= 3.17.0, < 3.17.1CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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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Determine GitHub Enterprise Server versionLog into the GitHub Enterprise Server web interface as an administrator. Navigate to the Site Admin dashboard. The version is typically displayed on the main admin page or in the Settings > About section.Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: < 3.13.16, >= 3.14.0 and < 3.14.13, >= 3.15.0 and < 3.15.8, >= 3.16.0 and < 3.16.4, or >= 3.17.0 and < 3.17.1. These versions contain the vulnerability.
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Check if pre-receive hooks are in useIn the Site Admin interface, navigate to a repository settings page and examine the pre-receive hooks configuration. Pre-receive hooks are typically managed through the admin interface under Hooks or pre-receive hook management. Alternatively, use the GitHub Enterprise administrative API if available to list configured pre-receive hooks.Affected if Pre-receive hooks are actively configured and the server version is vulnerable. The vulnerability specifically exploits the pre-receive hook functionality during the hot patch upgrade window.
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Identify site administrator accountsIn the Site Admin interface, review the Administrators settings panel to list all site administrators. Alternatively, use the administrative API to query user accounts with admin privileges.Affected if There exist site administrator accounts. The vulnerability requires an attacker to have site administrator permissions OR repository modification rights to exploit the RCE flaw.
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Check for recent hot patch upgrade activityReview the GitHub Enterprise Server audit logs or system logs for recent patch or upgrade events. Look for entries indicating hot patch operations that would create the temporary port exposure window described in the vulnerability.Affected if A hot patch upgrade occurred recently on a vulnerable version, and pre-receive hooks are in use. The vulnerability exploits dynamically allocated ports that become available during this specific upgrade process.
You are affected if your GitHub Enterprise Server version is below 3.17.1 (or 3.16.4, 3.15.8, 3.14.13, 3.13.16 depending on your release line) AND you have pre-receive hooks configured with site administrators or users having repository modification rights.
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 · scoped3.13.163.14.133.15.8
Upgrade GitHub Enterprise Server to version 3.18 or one of the patched versions (3.17.1, 3.16.4, 3.15.8, 3.14.13, 3.13.16) to remediate this vulnerability.
Upgrade to GitHub Enterprise Server 3.18 or the latest stable release (minimum: 3.17.1, 3.16.4, 3.15.8, 3.14.13, or 3.13.16 depending on your release line)
- 1. Identify the current GitHub Enterprise Server version by navigating to the admin console or running 'ghe-version' via SSH.
- 2. Determine the appropriate target version based on current release line: if on 3.13.x upgrade to 3.13.16; if on 3.14.x upgrade to 3.14.13; if on 3.15.x upgrade to 3.15.8; if on 3.16.x upgrade to 3.16.4; if on 3.17.x upgrade to 3.17.1 or later.
- 3. Review GitHub Enterprise Server upgrade requirements and ensure system meets prerequisites for the target version.
- 4. Perform a full backup of the GitHub Enterprise Server instance before initiating the upgrade.
- 5. Execute the upgrade following GitHub's standard upgrade procedure for the appliance.
- 6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version and confirming all services are operational.
- 7. After upgrade, audit pre-receive hook configurations to ensure no unauthorized hooks were added during any period the vulnerability may have been present.
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
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-3509 — 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-2025-3509 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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