Is CVE-2023-52137 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2023-52137 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2023-52137 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2023-52137 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-52137?

CVE-2023-52137 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2023-52137

CWE-20Published: December 29, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The [`tj-actions/verify-changed-files`](https://github.com/tj-actions/verify-changed-files) action allows for command injection in changed filenames, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code and potentially leak secrets. The [`verify-changed-files`](https://github.com/tj-actions/verify-changed-files) workflow returns the list of files changed within a workflow execution. This could potentially allow filenames that contain special characters such as `;` which can be used by an attacker to take over the [GitHub Runner](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners) if the output value is used in a raw fashion (thus being directly replaced before execution) inside a `run` block. By running custom commands, an attacker may be able to steal secrets such as `GITHUB_TOKEN` if triggered on other events than `pull_request`.

This has been patched in versions [17](https://github.com/tj-actions/verify-changed-files/releases/tag/v17) and [17.0.0](https://github.com/tj-actions/verify-changed-files/releases/tag/v17.0.0) by enabling `safe_output` by default and returning filename paths escaping special characters for bash environments.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-52137 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.8.