> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/appsec-rules/ci-cd-security/input-validation/appsec-cicd-138.md).

# Pipeline vulnerable to command injection

## Rule Details

|                       |                   |
| --------------------- | ----------------- |
| Cortex AppSec Rule ID | APPSEC\_CICD\_138 |
| Category              | Input Validation  |
| Severity              | CRITICAL          |

## Impact

Pipelines are vulnerable to command injection attacks, in which arbitrary commands and scripts are passed through user controlled inputs such as pull request title, commit description etc., which are referenced by the pipeline configuration file and executed in the pipeline job. When a pipeline job runs, the poisoned controlled inputs can be interpreted as code, which is then executed on the runner, enabling remote code execution attacks to take place in order to access stored secrets or to read or modify the source code.

## Recommended Solution - Buildtime

Pipelines should never run unsanitized and/or untrusted input. To mitigate command injection attacks, the recommended approach is to use an action that processes user input as an argument. Another approach would be to set the value of the expression to an intermediate environment variable which will cause this attack to fail.

For more information refer to: <https://docs.github.com/en/actions/security-guides/security-hardening-for-github-actions#good-practices-for-mitigating-script-injection-attacks>.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/appsec-rules/ci-cd-security/input-validation/appsec-cicd-138.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.