# CVE-2023-6847: Improper Authentication in GitHub Enterprise Server leading to Authentication Bypass for Public Repository Data

> Attacker with network access can bypass Private Mode authentication to read public repository data via crafted API requests.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cfmj-7rv7-v356

## What is CVE-2023-6847?

CVE-2023-6847 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Github Enterprise Server, published on 21 Dec 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An improper authentication vulnerability was identified in GitHub Enterprise Server that allowed a bypass of Private Mode by using a specially crafted API request. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need network access to the Enterprise Server appliance configured in Private Mode. This vulnerability affected all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server since 3.9 and was fixed in version 3.9.7, 3.10.4, and 3.11.1. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-6847?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Github Enterprise Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-6847?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-6847 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-6847 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-6847 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-2021-22869](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22869/): Improper access control in GitHub Enterprise Server allows self-hosted runners to execute outside their control group (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-9487](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9487/): Auth bypass in Enterprise Server (critical 9.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-6847 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-6847 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Github Enterprise Server, published on 21 Dec 2023. 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-2023-6847 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-2023-6847/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6847/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-6847
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-6847
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-6847

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6847/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.