Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and new vulnerabilities are discovered on a routine basis. One such vulnerability that has recently been identified affects the dedupe Python library, an open-source library that uses machine learning algorithms to perform data deduplication and entity resolution on structured data. This vulnerability poses a significant threat to developers and organizations utilizing this library, as it could potentially lead to system compromise or data leakage.
The issue, labeled CVE-2025-54430, pertains to a critical severity vulnerability identified within the .github/workflows/benchmark-bot.yml workflow of the dedupe Python library. If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to the exfiltration of GITHUB_TOKEN, which has write permissions on most scopes, and could ultimately lead to a potential repository takeover.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-54430
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.1)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Dedupe Python Library | Before commit 3f61e79
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of a vulnerability in the GitHub workflow of the dedupe library. Specifically, it manipulates the issue_comment to trigger an event using the @benchmark body. This event then checks out the manipulated PR’s branch, which may contain untrusted code. When this code is executed, it can lead to the exfiltration of GITHUB_TOKEN, a token with write permissions on most scopes, which could potentially lead to a repository takeover.
Conceptual Example Code
While the exact execution will depend on the specific untrusted code inserted into the PR branch, a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited could look like this:
POST /repos/:owner/:repo/issues/:issue_number/comments HTTP/1.1
Host: api.github.com
Authorization: token GITHUB_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json
{
"body": "@benchmark"
}In this example, the malicious actor uses the POST method to insert a comment with the @benchmark body. This triggers the GitHub Actions workflow, which could execute the untrusted code and potentially lead to the exfiltration of the GITHUB_TOKEN.
Fortunately, this vulnerability has been fixed by commit 3f61e79. As a cybersecurity expert, I strongly recommend applying the vendor patch or using a WAF/IDS as temporary mitigation to prevent potential system compromise or data leakage.