# CVE-2024-4985: Auth bypass in Enterprise Server

> Attackers can bypass authentication via forged SAML responses to gain site administrator privileges in GitHub Enterprise Server.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/R:U/V:C/RE:M/U:Red`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 May 2024
- **Updated:** 1 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5pw9-f9r4-mv2r

## What is CVE-2024-4985?

CVE-2024-4985 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Github Enterprise Server, published on 20 May 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An authentication bypass vulnerability was present in the GitHub Enterprise Server (GHES) when utilizing SAML single sign-on authentication with the optional encrypted assertions feature. This vulnerability allowed an attacker to forge a SAML response to provision and/or gain access to a user with site administrator privileges. Exploitation of this vulnerability would allow unauthorized access to the instance without requiring prior authentication. This vulnerability affected all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server prior to 3.13.0 and was fixed in versions 3.9.15, 3.10.12, 3.11.10 and 3.12.4. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program.

Weakness: CWE-303 (Incorrect Implementation of Authentication Algorithm)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-4985?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Github Enterprise Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-4985?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-4985 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-4985 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-4985 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Github Enterprise Server

- [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)
- [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-2024-4985 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-4985 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Github Enterprise Server, published on 20 May 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-4985 exists.

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-2024-4985/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4985/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-4985
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-4985
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-4985

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4985/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.