CVE-2025-11148
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2025-11148 is a critical command injection vulnerability in the check-branches npm package that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on systems running this tool. The vulnerability affects anyone using check-branches in CI/CD pipelines or locally, as malicious branch names can be injected into git commands. Attackers with repository access can exploit this to gain remote code execution.
💻 Affected Systems
- check-branches
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining shell access, data exfiltration, lateral movement, and persistence establishment.
Likely Case
Unauthorized command execution in CI/CD environments leading to pipeline compromise, credential theft, and repository manipulation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and sandboxing, potentially only affecting isolated CI/CD runners.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to create branches in target repository. Public proof-of-concept demonstrates command injection.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: None
Vendor Advisory: https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-CHECKBRANCHES-2766494
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Remove check-branches from your environment and use alternative tools.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove check-branches
allUninstall check-branches package and remove from CI/CD pipelines
npm uninstall -g check-branches
Remove check-branches from package.json and CI/CD configs
Use alternative branch checking
allReplace check-branches with git native commands or other validated tools
git branch --merged
git branch --no-merged
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict branch naming policies to prevent special characters
- Run check-branches in isolated containers with minimal privileges
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if check-branches is installed: npm list -g check-branches or check package.json dependenciesCheck Version:
check-branches --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm check-branches is not installed and not referenced in CI/CD configurations📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual git commands in CI/CD logs
- Suspicious branch names containing shell metacharacters
- Unexpected command execution in pipeline logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from CI/CD systems
- Git operations with malicious payloads
SIEM Query:
Search for 'check-branches' execution logs with suspicious branch names containing |, ;, $, &, or backticks