Actions: Normalize explicit untrusted checkout paths

actions/ql/lib/codeql/actions/security/UntrustedCheckoutQuery.qll

@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ class ActionsMutableRefCheckout extends MutableRefCheckoutStep instanceof UsesSt
 
   override string getPath() {
     if exists(this.(UsesStep).getArgument("path"))
-    then result = this.(UsesStep).getArgument("path")
+    then result = normalizePath(this.(UsesStep).getArgument("path"))
     else result = "GITHUB_WORKSPACE/"
   }
 }
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ class ActionsSHACheckout extends SHACheckoutStep instanceof UsesStep {
 
   override string getPath() {
     if exists(this.(UsesStep).getArgument("path"))
-    then result = this.(UsesStep).getArgument("path")
+    then result = normalizePath(this.(UsesStep).getArgument("path"))
     else result = "GITHUB_WORKSPACE/"
   }
 }

actions/ql/src/change-notes/2026-07-21-untrusted-checkout-paths.md

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+category: minorAnalysis
+---
+* The `actions/untrusted-checkout/critical` query now recognizes local scripts and actions run from an explicit relative `actions/checkout` path.

actions/ql/test/query-tests/Security/CWE-829/.github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+name: Untrusted checkout paths
+
+on:
+  issue_comment:
+    types: [created]
+
+jobs:
+  bare-path:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4.2.2
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ github.head_ref }}
+          path: checkout
+      - run: ./checkout/build.sh
+
+  dot-relative-path:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4.2.2
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ github.head_ref }}
+          path: ./checkout-dot
+      - run: bash ./checkout-dot/build.sh
+
+  trailing-slash-path:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4.2.2
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ github.head_ref }}
+          path: checkout-action/
+      - uses: ./checkout-action/.github/actions/build
+
+  nested-path:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4.2.2
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ github.head_ref }}
+          path: a/b
+      - run: bash ./a/b/build.sh

actions/ql/test/query-tests/Security/CWE-829/.github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_path.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+name: Workflow run untrusted checkout path
+
+on:
+  workflow_run:
+    workflows: [Test]
+    types: [completed]
+
+jobs:
+  nested-path:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4.2.2
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }}
+          path: nested/checkout
+      - run: ./nested/checkout/build.sh

actions/ql/test/query-tests/Security/CWE-829/UntrustedCheckoutCritical.expected

@@ -338,6 +338,10 @@ edges
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_6.yml:17:9:21:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_6.yml:21:9:23:23 | Run Step |
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_no_needs.yml:8:9:16:6 | Uses Step: checkAccess | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_no_needs.yml:16:9:22:2 | Run Step |
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_no_needs.yml:26:9:31:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_no_needs.yml:31:9:31:23 | Run Step |
+| .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:11:9:15:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:15:9:17:2 | Run Step |
+| .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:20:9:24:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:24:9:26:2 | Run Step |
+| .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:29:9:33:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:33:9:35:2 | Uses Step |
+| .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:38:9:42:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:42:9:42:33 | Run Step |
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permission_check_reusable2.yml:8:9:16:6 | Uses Step: checkAccess | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permission_check_reusable2.yml:16:9:22:2 | Run Step |
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permission_check_reusable.yml:8:9:16:6 | Uses Step: checkAccess | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permission_check_reusable.yml:16:9:22:2 | Run Step |
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permission_check_reusable_level2.yml:8:9:16:6 | Uses Step: checkAccess | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permission_check_reusable_level2.yml:16:9:22:2 | Run Step |
@@ -350,6 +354,7 @@ edges
 | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout.yml:13:9:16:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout.yml:16:9:18:31 | Uses Step |
 | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_2.yml:13:9:16:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_2.yml:16:9:18:31 | Uses Step |
 | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_3.yml:13:9:16:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_3.yml:16:9:18:31 | Uses Step |
+| .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_path.yml:12:9:16:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_path.yml:16:9:16:40 | Run Step |
 #select
 | .github/actions/dangerous-git-checkout/action.yml:6:7:11:4 | Uses Step | .github/actions/dangerous-git-checkout/action.yml:6:7:11:4 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout3.yml:13:9:13:23 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout3.yml:4:3:4:14 | workflow_run | workflow_run |
 | .github/workflows/auto_ci.yml:20:9:27:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/auto_ci.yml:20:9:27:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/auto_ci.yml:32:9:37:6 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/auto_ci.yml:6:3:6:21 | pull_request_target | pull_request_target |
@@ -394,4 +399,9 @@ edges
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout.yml:8:9:11:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout.yml:8:9:11:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout.yml:15:9:18:2 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout.yml:2:3:2:21 | pull_request_target | pull_request_target |
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout.yml:23:9:26:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout.yml:23:9:26:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout.yml:30:9:32:23 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout.yml:2:3:2:21 | pull_request_target | pull_request_target |
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_no_needs.yml:26:9:31:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_no_needs.yml:26:9:31:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_no_needs.yml:31:9:31:23 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_no_needs.yml:2:3:2:21 | pull_request_target | pull_request_target |
+| .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:11:9:15:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:11:9:15:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:15:9:17:2 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:4:3:4:15 | issue_comment | issue_comment |
+| .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:20:9:24:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:20:9:24:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:24:9:26:2 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:4:3:4:15 | issue_comment | issue_comment |
+| .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:29:9:33:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:29:9:33:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:33:9:35:2 | Uses Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:4:3:4:15 | issue_comment | issue_comment |
+| .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:38:9:42:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:38:9:42:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:42:9:42:33 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_paths.yml:4:3:4:15 | issue_comment | issue_comment |
 | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permissions_check.yml:36:9:41:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permissions_check.yml:36:9:41:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permissions_check.yml:41:9:41:22 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/untrusted_checkout_permissions_check.yml:2:3:2:21 | pull_request_target | pull_request_target |
+| .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_path.yml:12:9:16:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_path.yml:12:9:16:6 | Uses Step | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_path.yml:16:9:16:40 | Run Step | Checkout of untrusted code in a privileged workflow with later potential execution (event trigger: $@). | .github/workflows/workflow_run_untrusted_checkout_path.yml:4:3:4:14 | workflow_run | workflow_run |