Proposal: Case Study for CVE-2025-54416 (Command Injection in GitHub Actions CI/CD Pipelines)

We are proposing to write a case study on the command injection vulnerability in GitHub Actions workflows (CVE-2025-54416).

Description:

CVE-2025-54416 presents a command injection vulnerability within the tj-actions/branch-names GitHub Action. This vulnerability arises from the inadequate sanitization of attacker-controlled branch names before they are incorporated into shell commands. Consequently, an attacker could craft a malicious branch name that includes shell commands. When the workflow is executed, these commands may be unintentionally executed within the CI/CD pipeline. Successful exploitation could result in the exposure of sensitive data, including repository secrets and tokens, thereby compromising the integrity of the build environment.

Scope:

This case study will examine weaknesses in CI/CD pipelines. It will specifically explore how untrusted inputs in automated workflows can lead to command injection attacks and broader supply chain risks. The study will also analyze the root causes of these vulnerabilities, provide realistic examples of how they can be exploited, and suggest practical, systematic approaches to securing CI/CD systems.

Group Members:

• Rahul Deshmukh
• Yash Dayma
• Chaitanya Chaudhari

Start with the linked GitHub advisory and the tj-actions/branch-names action, then review the proposal's scope for the case study. Cover the command-injection cause, risks from untrusted workflow inputs, realistic exploitation examples, and practical CI/CD security approaches; done means a complete case study addressing those points.