Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2020-26222 is a high-severity remote code execution flaw in Dependabot-Core. If an affected Dependabot workflow processes a specially crafted source branch name, shell code may run during repository cloning. This mainly matters for organizations running self-managed Dependabot-Core, especially where untrusted users can influence branch names.
Executive priority
Treat this as a priority fix for teams running self-managed Dependabot-Core. The business risk is code execution inside dependency automation, which may expose source code, CI secrets, or build infrastructure depending on runner permissions.
Technical view
Dependabot-Core versions from 0.119.0.beta1 before 0.125.1 are affected. The issue is in dependabot-common and dependabot-go_modules, where a source branch name can be interpreted as injectable bash code during clone operations. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-74 and has CVSS 3.1 score 8.7.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in self-hosted or embedded Dependabot-Core deployments below 0.125.1. Risk increases when Dependabot is configured to process branch names influenced by contributors, automation, forks, or external repositories.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked KEV. Exploitation requires an affected Dependabot-Core version and a malicious branch name reaching Dependabot’s source handling path, with Dependabot then cloning that repository or branch.
Researcher notes
The key research focus is input handling around branch names passed into Dependabot::Source and clone workflows. Evidence supports the fixed version and workaround, but the provided bundle does not include proof of real-world exploitation or broader affected products.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Dependabot-Core to version 0.125.1 or later.
- Escape branch names before passing them to Dependabot::Source if immediate upgrade is blocked.
- Review Dependabot integrations that process branch names from less-trusted sources.
- Check the GitHub advisory for any updated vendor guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory all self-managed Dependabot-Core installations and embedded package versions.
- Confirm dependabot-core, dependabot-common, and dependabot-go_modules are not below 0.125.1.
- Review configurations where source branch names are supplied to Dependabot::Source.
- Check CI or automation logs for unexpected behavior during Dependabot clone operations.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-74: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2020-26222 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N2.35.8Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.7HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/dependabot/dependabot-core/security/advisories/GHSA-23f7-99jx-m54rCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/dependabot/dependabot-core/pull/2727CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/dependabot/dependabot-core/commit/e089116abbe284425b976f7920e502b8e83a61b5CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.