CVE-2025-54416

CRITICAL

tj-actions/branch-names < 9.0.0 - Remote Code Execution via Crafted Branch or Tag Names

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

EIP tracks 1 public exploit for CVE-2025-54416. PoCs published by HexborneStudio.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This repository demonstrates CVE-2025-54416, a command injection vulnerability in tj-actions/branch-names GitHub Action versions <= 8.2.1. The PoC shows how attacker-controlled branch names can execute arbitrary commands in CI/CD pipelines, leading to secret exfiltration.

Description

tj-actions/branch-names is a Github actions repository that contains workflows to retrieve branch or tag names with support for all events. In versions 8.2.1 and below, a critical vulnerability has been identified in the tj-actions/branch-names' GitHub Action workflow which allows arbitrary command execution in downstream workflows. This issue arises due to inconsistent input sanitization and unescaped output, enabling malicious actors to exploit specially crafted branch names or tags. While internal sanitization mechanisms have been implemented, the action outputs remain vulnerable, exposing consuming workflows to significant security risks. This is fixed in version 9.0.0

Exploits (1)

nomisec WORKING POC
by HexborneStudio · poc
https://github.com/HexborneStudio/atlas-tj-actions-poc

This repository demonstrates CVE-2025-54416, a command injection vulnerability in tj-actions/branch-names GitHub Action versions <= 8.2.1. The PoC shows how attacker-controlled branch names can execute arbitrary commands in CI/CD pipelines, leading to secret exfiltration.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: tj-actions/branch-names GitHub Action v8.2.1 and earlier
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Attacker must create a branch with a malicious name in the target repository
devstral-2 · analyzed Apr 14, 2026 Full analysis →

Scores

CVSS v3 9.1
EPSS 0.0056
EPSS Percentile 68.8%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation poc
Automatable no
Technical Impact partial

Details

CWE
CWE-77
Status published
Products (2)
GitHub Actions/tj-actions/branch-names 0 - 9.0.0GitHub Actions
tj-actions/branch-names < 9.0.0
Published Jul 26, 2025
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026