Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-30066

RCE in Tj-Actions Changed-Files ≤ 45.0.7

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRCE
Published
15 March 2025
Modified
05 November 2025
KEV Added
18 March 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.6
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.70 99.3th percentile
Risk Priority 88 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-30066 is a high-severity Embedded Malicious Code (CWE-506) vulnerability in Tj-Actions Changed-Files. Its CVSS base score is 8.6 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Embedded Payloads (T1027.009); ranked in the top 0.7% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SC-44 (Detonation Chambers) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

The vulnerability CVE-2025-30066 affects the tj-actions/changed-files GitHub Action in versions before 46. It enables remote attackers to discover secrets by reading workflow action logs. The issue stems from a supply-chain compromise in which tags v1 through v45.0.7 were altered on 2025-03-14 and 2025-03-15 to reference commit 0e58ed8 containing malicious updateFeatures code, classified under CWE-506.

Attackers with no authentication or user interaction can exploit the flaw over the network, achieving high-impact confidentiality breaches by extracting secrets that appear in GitHub Actions logs. The CVSS 8.6 score reflects the change in scope and the absence of required privileges or user interaction.

Public references, including GitGuardian analysis and GitHub security-hardening guidance, recommend pinning actions to specific commit hashes rather than version tags, reviewing workflow logs for unexpected changes, and regenerating any secrets that may have been exposed. The associated EPSS score remains elevated near 0.92, indicating sustained exploitation interest following disclosure of the tag-poisoning incident.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

tj-actions changed-files before 46 allows remote attackers to discover secrets by reading actions logs. (The tags v1 through v45.0.7 were affected on 2025-03-14 and 2025-03-15 because they were modified by a threat actor to point at commit 0e58ed8, which contained…

more

malicious updateFeatures code.)

CWE(s)
KEV Date Added
18 March 2025

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1027.009 Embedded Payloads Stealth
Adversaries may embed payloads within other files to conceal malicious content from defenses.
T1195 Supply Chain Compromise Initial Access
Adversaries may manipulate products or product delivery mechanisms prior to receipt by a final consumer for the purpose of data or system compromise.
T1195.002 Compromise Software Supply Chain Initial Access
Adversaries may manipulate application software prior to receipt by a final consumer for the purpose of data or system compromise.
T1505 Server Software Component Persistence
Adversaries may abuse legitimate extensible development features of servers to establish persistent access to systems.
T1525 Implant Internal Image Persistence
Adversaries may implant cloud or container images with malicious code to establish persistence after gaining access to an environment.
T1554 Compromise Host Software Binary Persistence
Adversaries may modify host software binaries to establish persistent access to systems.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-51664Same product: Tj-Actions Changed-Files
CVE-2025-54313Shared CWE-506both on KEV
CVE-2024-4978Shared CWE-506both on KEV
CVE-2025-59374Shared CWE-506both on KEV
CVE-2025-30154Shared CWE-506both on KEV
CVE-2026-48027Shared CWE-506both on KEV
CVE-2026-33634Shared CWE-506both on KEV
CVE-2026-8398Shared CWE-506both on KEV
CVE-2026-45321Shared CWE-506both on KEV
CVE-2024-3094Shared CWE-506

Affected Assets

tj-actions
changed-files
≤ 45.0.7

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 3 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation can discover embedded malicious code before release.

Detonation chambers can reveal embedded malicious code through controlled execution analysis.

Integrity verification tools directly detect unauthorized or malicious code insertions.

Tamper-resistance and detection mechanisms identify malicious code introduced via the supply chain.

Component authenticity requirements reduce the chance malicious code is embedded by developers or suppliers.

Component authenticity controls stop introduction of malicious or counterfeit code into the product.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

ID.RA-09 mostly match
prevents

Assessing authenticity and integrity before acquisition catches embedded malicious code.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly prevent introduction of malicious code during development.

GV.SC-06 partial match
prevents

Due diligence prior to supplier relationships helps avoid sources of embedded malicious code.

GV.SC-07 partial match
prevents

Supplier risk assessment reduces likelihood of receiving products containing malicious code.

ID.RA-10 partial match
prevents

Pre-acquisition assessment of critical suppliers mitigates risk of malicious code in procured software.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Requiring suppliers to furnish component lists, attestations, and cryptographic verification of delivered artefacts makes it harder for an attacker to embed hidden malicious code that would otherwise go undetected through the supply chain.

finds

Checks that executed code has not been tampered with and monitoring for malware-associated activity reduce the likelihood that hidden malicious code remains active.

none

Banning unapproved or unknown software and requiring testing plus authorization reduces the chance that hidden malicious code will be introduced into production environments.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 9 (1 rule)
  • V-271452 OL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. prevents CWE-506
RHEL 9 (1 rule)
  • V-258078 RHEL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. prevents CWE-506

References