Setup PHP: GitHub tokens configured by setup-php may be exposed through pinned affected Composer versions

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

5.9 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS

No dated EPSS signal available.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact This affects only workflows that pin an exact affected Composer semver version through setup-php, for example tools: composer:2.9.7. Workflows using the default Composer version, composer:v2, or no pinned Composer version are not affected through setup-php, because those Composer URLs have been updated to patched Composer releases for all setup-php versions. setup-php does not directly print the token. The token may be exposed through Composer when Composer validates github-oauth auth and rejects GitHub's newer hyphen-containing token format. Public repository logs may expose the token. GitHub-hosted runner GITHUBTOKEN values expire after the job, but exposure may still matter during the token lifetime and for longer-lived GitHub App or user tokens. Patches setup-php 2.37.1 skips generated GitHub OAuth auth for pinned Composer versions affected by Composer GHSA-f9f8-rm49-7jv2 while preserving other Composer auth, including Packagist auth. Workarounds Upgrade to setup-php…

Published by the source

20 May 2026, 15:32 UTC

Last modified by the source

20 May 2026, 15:32 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 17:08 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-5wxr-w449-57cm

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# Patch Next advisory brief: GHSA-5wxr-w449-57cm

Advisory: Setup PHP: GitHub tokens configured by setup-php may be exposed through pinned affected Composer versions
IDs: GHSA-5wxr-w449-57cm
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-5wxr-w449-57cm (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 17:08 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.9)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: shivammathur/setup-php 2.37.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- GitHub Actions shivammathur/setup-php: affected < 2.37.1; fixed in 2.37.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- GitHub Actions shivammathur/setup-php: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on shivammathur/setup-php.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-5wxr-w449-57cm (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-5wxr-w449-57cm lists affected ranges: GitHub Actions shivammathur/setup-php >=0 <2.37.1)

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