From 97a39e8819a114ec17c4fc4451c1ee8515d448fa Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "pulse-triage[bot]"
 <249995291+pulse-triage[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2026 14:30:31 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Block dispatch payload shell injection

Change-source: pulse-maintainer
---
 scripts/check_workflow_trust.py      | 21 +++++++++++++++------
 scripts/tests/test_workflow_trust.py | 27 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 42 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/scripts/check_workflow_trust.py b/scripts/check_workflow_trust.py
index f3198722f..208769766 100644
--- a/scripts/check_workflow_trust.py
+++ b/scripts/check_workflow_trust.py
@@ -24,14 +24,22 @@ USES_RE = re.compile(
 )
 RUN_RE = re.compile(rf"^(\s*)(?:-\s*)?{_yaml_key('run')}\s*:\s*(.*)$")
 EXPRESSION_RE = re.compile(r"\$\{\{(.*?)\}\}")
-# Workflow-call and dispatch inputs are data, not shell source. Step and job
-# outputs are data too: they can carry event or input values across an
-# otherwise-safe intermediate step. Secrets include github.token because
+# Workflow-call and dispatch inputs are data, not shell source. The legacy
+# github.event.inputs alias is identical data, and repository_dispatch callers
+# fully control client_payload. Step and job outputs are data too: they can
+# carry event or input values across an otherwise-safe intermediate step.
+# Whole github contexts are unsafe because they include event data (and the
+# github context includes github.token). Secrets include github.token because
 # Actions makes that credential available independently of an explicit
 # secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN reference.
 SHELL_DATA_CONTEXT_RE = re.compile(
     r"(?<![\w.])(?:inputs|secrets)\b|"
-    r"(?<![\w.])github\.token\b|"
+    r"(?<![\w.])github(?:\.token\b|\[\s*['\"]token['\"]\s*\])|"
+    r"(?<![\w.])github\b(?:\.event\b|\[\s*['\"]event['\"]\s*\])"
+    r"(?:\.(?:inputs|client_payload)\b|"
+    r"\[\s*['\"](?:inputs|client_payload)['\"]\s*\])|"
+    r"(?<![\w.])github\b(?:\.event\b|\[\s*['\"]event['\"]\s*\])?"
+    r"(?!\s*(?:\.|\[))|"
     r"(?<![\w.])(?:steps|needs)\b"
     r"(?=[^}\n]*(?:\.outputs\b|\[\s*['\"]outputs['\"]\s*\]))"
 )
@@ -435,8 +443,9 @@ def audit_workflow(path: Path) -> list[Finding]:
                             Finding(
                                 path,
                                 script_index + 1,
-                                "workflow inputs, secrets, and step/job outputs "
-                                "must enter run scripts through env",
+                                "workflow inputs, dispatch payloads, secrets, "
+                                "GitHub contexts, and step/job outputs must enter "
+                                "run scripts through env",
                             )
                         )
                     elif UNTRUSTED_GITHUB_CONTEXT_RE.search(expression):
diff --git a/scripts/tests/test_workflow_trust.py b/scripts/tests/test_workflow_trust.py
index 5c19ecb4f..23b5985c3 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/test_workflow_trust.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/test_workflow_trust.py
@@ -412,6 +412,33 @@ jobs:
             3,
         )
 
+    def test_rejects_dispatch_data_and_whole_github_contexts_in_shell(self) -> None:
+        findings = self.audit(
+            """permissions: {}
+jobs:
+  unsafe:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "${{ github.event.inputs.release_name }}"
+      - run: echo "${{ github.event.client_payload.command }}"
+      - run: echo "${{ github['event']['inputs']['release_name'] }}"
+      - run: echo "${{ github.event['client_payload']['command'] }}"
+      - run: echo "${{ toJSON(github.event) }}"
+      - run: echo "${{ toJSON(github) }}"
+      - run: echo "${{ github['token'] }}"
+      - env:
+          RELEASE_NAME: ${{ github.event.inputs.release_name }}
+          COMMAND: ${{ github.event.client_payload.command }}
+          EVENT_JSON: ${{ toJSON(github.event) }}
+        run: printf '%s %s %s\n' "$RELEASE_NAME" "$COMMAND" "$EVENT_JSON"
+"""
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            sum("must enter run scripts through env" in finding for finding in findings),
+            7,
+        )
+
     def test_rejects_untrusted_github_metadata_in_generated_shell(self) -> None:
         findings = self.audit(
             """on: [pull_request]