skip running unsafe pr check if input is default (backport #2518 to releases/v6)

* block checking out fork pr for pull_request_target and workflow_run (#2454)

* block checking out fork pr for some events

* address copilot and reviewer feedback

* run prettier formatting

* build

* update urls

* update readme

* update description and url again

* edit url one more time

* update error wording (#2467)

README.md

@@ -162,8 +162,11 @@ Please refer to the [release page](https://github.com/actions/checkout/releases/
     github-server-url: ''
 
     # Required to check out fork pull request code from a workflow triggered by
-    # `pull_request_target` or `workflow_run`. See [Pwn Requests](todo:need-link) for
-    # the risks. Set to `true` only after reviewing the risks.
+    # `pull_request_target` or `workflow_run`. These workflows run with the base
+    # repository's GITHUB_TOKEN, secrets, default-branch cache scope, and runner
+    # access; fetching and executing a fork's code in that trusted context commonly
+    # leads to "pwn request" vulnerabilities. Set to `true` only after reviewing the
+    # risks at https://gh.io/securely-using-pull_request_target.
     # Default: false
     allow-unsafe-pr-checkout: ''
 ```

__test__/input-helper.test.ts

@@ -155,4 +155,50 @@ describe('input-helper tests', () => {
     const settings: IGitSourceSettings = await inputHelper.getInputs()
     expect(settings.workflowOrganizationId).toBe(123456)
   })
+
+  describe('unsafe PR checkout guard', () => {
+    const forkPayload = {
+      repository: {id: 100},
+      pull_request: {
+        head: {
+          sha: '1234567890123456789012345678901234567890',
+          repo: {id: 200, full_name: 'attacker/fork'}
+        },
+        merge_commit_sha: 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa'
+      }
+    }
+
+    it('allows the default self-checkout on a fork pull_request_target', async () => {
+      const originalEvent = github.context.eventName
+      const originalPayload = github.context.payload
+      try {
+        github.context.eventName = 'pull_request_target'
+        github.context.payload = forkPayload as any
+        // Simulate a rebase/fast-forward merge where the base tip (event SHA)
+        // equals the PR head SHA. The default self-checkout must still succeed.
+        github.context.sha = '1234567890123456789012345678901234567890'
+        const settings: IGitSourceSettings = await inputHelper.getInputs()
+        expect(settings.commit).toBe('1234567890123456789012345678901234567890')
+      } finally {
+        github.context.eventName = originalEvent
+        github.context.payload = originalPayload
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('refuses an explicit fork repository on pull_request_target', async () => {
+      const originalEvent = github.context.eventName
+      const originalPayload = github.context.payload
+      try {
+        github.context.eventName = 'pull_request_target'
+        github.context.payload = forkPayload as any
+        inputs.repository = 'attacker/fork'
+        await expect(inputHelper.getInputs()).rejects.toThrow(
+          /Refusing to check out fork pull request code/
+        )
+      } finally {
+        github.context.eventName = originalEvent
+        github.context.payload = originalPayload
+      }
+    })
+  })
 })

action.yml

@@ -101,8 +101,11 @@ inputs:
   allow-unsafe-pr-checkout:
     description: >
       Required to check out fork pull request code from a workflow triggered by
-      `pull_request_target` or `workflow_run`. See [Pwn Requests](todo:need-link)
-      for the risks. Set to `true` only after reviewing the risks.
+      `pull_request_target` or `workflow_run`. These workflows run with the
+      base repository's GITHUB_TOKEN, secrets, default-branch cache scope, and
+      runner access; fetching and executing a fork's code in that trusted
+      context commonly leads to "pwn request" vulnerabilities. Set to `true`
+      only after reviewing the risks at https://gh.io/securely-using-pull_request_target.
     default: false
 outputs:
   ref:

dist/index.js

@@ -2150,12 +2150,19 @@ function getInputs() {
             (core.getInput('allow-unsafe-pr-checkout') || 'false').toUpperCase() ===
                 'TRUE';
         core.debug(`allow unsafe PR checkout = ${result.allowUnsafePrCheckout}`);
+        // The default self-checkout (this repository with no explicit ref) always
+        // resolves to the trusted ref/commit GitHub set for the triggering event, so
+        // the fork-checkout guard only needs to run when the caller customized the
+        // repository or ref.
+        const isDefaultCheckout = isWorkflowRepository && !core.getInput('ref');
+        if (!isDefaultCheckout) {
             unsafePrCheckoutHelper.assertSafePrCheckout({
                 qualifiedRepository,
                 ref: result.ref,
                 commit: result.commit,
                 allowUnsafePrCheckout: result.allowUnsafePrCheckout
             });
+        }
         return result;
     });
 }
@@ -2822,8 +2829,7 @@ function assertSafePrCheckout(input) {
     // (B) We cannot check for all fork PR refs so check to see
     // if the resolved input points to the fork PR sha we have in the payload
     const repositoryMatchesPrHead = typeof prHeadRepoFullName === 'string' &&
-        input.qualifiedRepository.toLowerCase() ===
-            prHeadRepoFullName.toLowerCase();
+        input.qualifiedRepository.toLowerCase() === prHeadRepoFullName.toLowerCase();
     const refMatchesPullPattern = PR_REF_PATTERN.test(input.ref);
     const commitMatchesPrHeadSha = !!input.commit && prShas.includes(input.commit.toLowerCase());
     if (!repositoryMatchesPrHead &&
@@ -2833,9 +2839,10 @@ function assertSafePrCheckout(input) {
     }
     throw new Error(`Refusing to check out fork pull request code from a '${eventName}' workflow. ` +
         `This workflow runs with the base repository's GITHUB_TOKEN, secrets, default-branch ` +
-        `cache scope, and runner access. Fetching fork's code in that trusted context is a ` +
-        `"pwn request" supply-chain attack pattern. To opt in after reviewing the risk, set ` +
-        `'allow-unsafe-pr-checkout: true' on the actions/checkout step.`);
+        `cache scope, and runner access. Fetching and executing a fork's code in that trusted ` +
+        `context commonly leads to "pwn request" vulnerabilities. To opt in, review the risks ` +
+        `at https://gh.io/securely-using-pull_request_target and set 'allow-unsafe-pr-checkout: true' ` +
+        `on the actions/checkout step.`);
 }
 function pushIfSha(target, value) {
     if (typeof value === 'string' && value.length > 0) {

src/input-helper.ts

@@ -168,12 +168,19 @@ export async function getInputs(): Promise<IGitSourceSettings> {
     'TRUE'
   core.debug(`allow unsafe PR checkout = ${result.allowUnsafePrCheckout}`)
 
+  // The default self-checkout (this repository with no explicit ref) always
+  // resolves to the trusted ref/commit GitHub set for the triggering event, so
+  // the fork-checkout guard only needs to run when the caller customized the
+  // repository or ref.
+  const isDefaultCheckout = isWorkflowRepository && !core.getInput('ref')
+  if (!isDefaultCheckout) {
     unsafePrCheckoutHelper.assertSafePrCheckout({
       qualifiedRepository,
       ref: result.ref,
       commit: result.commit,
       allowUnsafePrCheckout: result.allowUnsafePrCheckout
     })
+  }
 
   return result
 }

src/unsafe-pr-checkout-helper.ts

@@ -74,9 +74,10 @@ export function assertSafePrCheckout(input: IUnsafePrCheckoutInput): void {
   throw new Error(
     `Refusing to check out fork pull request code from a '${eventName}' workflow. ` +
       `This workflow runs with the base repository's GITHUB_TOKEN, secrets, default-branch ` +
-      `cache scope, and runner access. Fetching fork's code in that trusted context is a ` +
-      `"pwn request" supply-chain attack pattern. To opt in after reviewing the risk, set ` +
-      `'allow-unsafe-pr-checkout: true' on the actions/checkout step.`
+      `cache scope, and runner access. Fetching and executing a fork's code in that trusted ` +
+      `context commonly leads to "pwn request" vulnerabilities. To opt in, review the risks ` +
+      `at https://gh.io/securely-using-pull_request_target and set 'allow-unsafe-pr-checkout: true' ` +
+      `on the actions/checkout step.`
   )
 }