# CVE-2021-22869: Improper access control in GitHub Enterprise Server allows self-hosted runners to execute outside their control group

> Attackers can execute code on unauthorized self-hosted runners due to improper access control checks in GitHub Enterprise Server.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Sep 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7vxg-f9rp-jrr5

## What is CVE-2021-22869?

CVE-2021-22869 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Github Enterprise Server, published on 24 Sep 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An improper access control vulnerability in GitHub Enterprise Server allowed a workflow job to execute in a self-hosted runner group it should not have had access to. This affects customers using self-hosted runner groups for access control. A repository with access to one enterprise runner group could access all of the enterprise runner groups within the organization because of improper authentication checks during the request. This could cause code to be run unintentionally by the incorrect runner group. This vulnerability affected GitHub Enterprise Server versions from 3.0.0 to 3.0.15 and 3.1.0 to 3.1.7 and was fixed in 3.0.16 and 3.1.8 releases.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-22869?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Github Enterprise Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-22869?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-22869 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-22869 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-22869 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Github Enterprise Server

- [CVE-2024-4985](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4985/): Auth bypass in Enterprise Server (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2022-23739](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23739/): Missing authorization in GitHub Enterprise Server (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-46255](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-46255/): Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory in GitHub Enterprise Server leading to RCE (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-9487](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9487/): Auth bypass in Enterprise Server (critical 9.5)
- [CVE-2024-6800](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6800/): Auth bypass in GitHub Enterprise Server (critical 9.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-22869 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-22869 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Github Enterprise Server, published on 24 Sep 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-22869 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Github Enterprise Server. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22869/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22869/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-22869
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22869
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-22869

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22869/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.