CVE-2026-77987: github enterprise_server Observable Timing Discrepancy

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-77987 is a critical (CVSS 9.8) Observable Timing Discrepancy vulnerability in github enterprise_server. EPSS estimates a 0.88% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 58.4% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 22-09-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 23-09-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

A server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability was identified in the notebook viewer of GitHub Enterprise Server. The notebook viewer validated the scheme and host of a user-supplied URL but did not validate the port, allowing requests to be directed to internal services listening on other ports of the same appliance. Response bodies were not returned to the requester, but response timing acted as an oracle that allowed instance secrets to be extracted character by character. An extracted secret could then be used in a separate interaction with an internal service to obtain remote code execution on the appliance. Exploitation required network access to the instance and was unauthenticated when private mode was disabled, or required any authenticated user when private mode was enabled. This vulnerability affected GitHub Enterprise Server versions 3.17 through 3.22 and was fixed in versions 3.22.1, 3.21.6, 3.20.8, 3.19.12, 3.18.15, and 3.17.21. This vulnerability was reported through the GitHub Bug Bounty program.

• CWE-208Observable Timing DiscrepancyTwo separate operations in a product require different amounts of time to complete, in a way that is observable to an actor and reveals security-relevant information about the state of the product, such as whether a particular operation was successful or not.
• CWE-918Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)The web server receives a URL or similar request from an upstream component and retrieves the contents of this URL, but it does not sufficiently ensure that the request is being sent to the expected destination.