@htekdev/actions-debugger 1.0.129 → 1.0.131

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+ id: permissions-auth-076
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+ title: '`docker push` to ghcr.io fails with 403 / "denied: permission_denied: write_package" — missing `packages: write` permission'
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+ category: permissions-auth
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+ severity: error
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+ tags:
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+ - ghcr
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+ - github-packages
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+ - container-registry
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+ - packages-write
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+ - github-token
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+ - docker-push
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+ - 403
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+ - permission-denied
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+ patterns:
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+ - regex: 'denied: permission_denied: write_package'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'Error response from daemon.*denied.*ghcr\.io.*403'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'error parsing HTTP 403 response body.*ghcr\.io'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'unauthorized.*ghcr\.io.*write'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'The token provided does not match expected format for.*packages'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ error_messages:
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+ - "Error response from daemon: denied: permission_denied: write_package"
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+ - "error parsing HTTP 403 response body: unexpected end of JSON input: \"\""
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+ - "denied: denied"
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+ - "unauthorized: authentication required"
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+ - "buildx failed with: ERROR [auth] ghcr.io token refreshing failed with status: 403 Forbidden"
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+ root_cause: |
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+ GitHub Container Registry (ghcr.io) requires the `packages: write` permission
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+ to be explicitly granted in the workflow job's `permissions:` block before
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+ `GITHUB_TOKEN` can push (publish) images.
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+
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+ Since GitHub tightened default GITHUB_TOKEN permissions in 2023, new repositories
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+ and organization workflows that set "Restrict GitHub Actions permissions" to
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+ "Read repository contents and packages" have `packages: write` DISABLED by default.
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+ Without this permission, any `docker push` or `docker buildx build --push` to
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+ `ghcr.io` fails with a 403 at the registry level.
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+
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+ **Why this is confusing:**
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+ - `docker login ghcr.io -u ${{ github.actor }} -p ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}`
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+ SUCCEEDS (read/login is allowed) — the login step passes
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+ - The failure occurs on `docker push`, not login
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+ - The error message "denied: permission_denied: write_package" or the generic 403
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+ does not directly mention the `packages: write` permission or how to add it
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+ - The same workflow may work on repositories created before the permission
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+ tightening (where `packages: write` was still the default)
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+
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+ **Additional requirement — linking the package to the repository:**
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+ On first publish, the package is created as unlinked. If the workflow runs in a
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+ fork or if the package visibility is set to Private with no repository link, the
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+ GITHUB_TOKEN push will also fail even with `packages: write`. The package must be
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+ linked to the source repository for GITHUB_TOKEN to authenticate.
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+
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+ Source: SO #70646920 (22 upvotes, 34k views), SO #78342148, GitHub Docs on
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+ container registry permissions.
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+ fix: |
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+ Add `packages: write` to the job's `permissions:` block. This is the most common
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+ fix and resolves the majority of GHCR push 403 errors:
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+
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+ ```yaml
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+ jobs:
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+ build-and-push:
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+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
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+ permissions:
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+ contents: read
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+ packages: write # Required to push to ghcr.io
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+ ```
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+
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+ **If login succeeds but push still fails:**
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+ 1. Verify the package is linked to the repository: go to the package on
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+ `github.com/{owner}/{package}` → Package settings → "Add Repository"
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+ 2. Ensure the package visibility matches the repository (private repo → private
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+ package, or set the package to public)
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+ 3. For organization repositories, confirm the organization has not blocked
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+ GitHub Actions from creating packages (Org Settings → Actions → General)
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+
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+ **If using a separate PAT or App token:**
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+ GITHUB_TOKEN with `packages: write` is sufficient for pushing to packages owned
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+ by the same repository. For cross-repository or org-level package publishing,
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+ use a Fine-Grained PAT with "Packages: Read and write" scope or a GitHub App
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+ with "Packages: write" permission.
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+ fix_code:
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+ - language: yaml
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+ label: 'Correct job-level permissions for docker push to ghcr.io'
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+ code: |
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+ name: Build and Push Docker Image
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+ on:
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+ push:
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+ branches: [main]
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+ jobs:
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+ build-push:
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+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
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+ permissions:
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+ contents: read
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+ packages: write # <-- Required for ghcr.io push
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+ steps:
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+ - uses: actions/checkout@v4
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+
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+ - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
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+ uses: docker/login-action@v3
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+ with:
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+ registry: ghcr.io
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+ username: ${{ github.actor }}
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+ password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
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+
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+ - name: Build and push
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+ uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
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+ with:
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+ context: .
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+ push: true
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+ tags: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}:latest
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+ - language: yaml
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+ label: 'Workflow-level permissions fallback (if setting per-job is not possible)'
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+ code: |
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+ name: Build and Push Docker Image
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+ on:
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+ push:
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+ branches: [main]
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+
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+ # Set at workflow level — applies to ALL jobs
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+ permissions:
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+ contents: read
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+ packages: write
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+
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+ jobs:
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+ build-push:
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+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
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+ steps:
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+ - uses: actions/checkout@v4
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+ - name: Log in to ghcr.io
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+ uses: docker/login-action@v3
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+ with:
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+ registry: ghcr.io
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+ username: ${{ github.actor }}
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+ password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
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+ - name: Push image
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+ run: |
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+ docker build -t ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}:${{ github.sha }} .
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+ docker push ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}:${{ github.sha }}
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+ prevention:
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+ - "Always add `packages: write` to the job permissions block for any job that pushes images to ghcr.io"
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+ - "Note that docker login to ghcr.io succeeds without packages:write — always test the actual push step to validate permissions"
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+ - "Check your organization's Actions general settings for any policies that restrict packages creation"
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+ - "When using docker/build-push-action with push: true, the packages: write permission is required on the job"
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+ - "For fork PRs, packages: write is unavailable — use conditional steps: `if: github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository`"
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+ - "Link the package to its source repository after first creation to enable GITHUB_TOKEN-based pushes in future runs"
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+ docs:
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+ - url: 'https://docs.github.com/en/packages/working-with-a-github-packages-registry/working-with-the-container-registry'
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+ label: 'GitHub Docs: Working with the Container registry (ghcr.io)'
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+ - url: 'https://docs.github.com/en/actions/security-for-github-actions/security-guides/automatic-token-authentication#permissions-for-the-github_token'
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+ label: 'GitHub Docs: GITHUB_TOKEN permissions reference'
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+ - url: 'https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70646920/github-token-permission-denied-write-package-when-build-and-push-docker-in-githu'
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+ label: 'SO #70646920: GITHUB_TOKEN permission denied write_package (22 upvotes, 34k views)'
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+ - url: 'https://docs.github.com/en/packages/learn-github-packages/configuring-a-packages-access-control-and-visibility'
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+ label: 'GitHub Docs: Configuring a package access control and visibility'
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+ id: runner-environment-241
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+ title: 'Docker container fails with "openat etc/passwd: path escapes from parent" on containerd v2.2+'
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+ category: runner-environment
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+ severity: error
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+ tags:
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+ - containerd
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+ - docker
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+ - healthcheck
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+ - path-escapes
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+ - nixos
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+ - absolute-symlink
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+ - runner-image-update
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+ patterns:
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+ - regex: 'openat etc/passwd: path escapes from parent'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'openat etc/group: path escapes from parent'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'ExitCode.*-1.*path escapes|path escapes.*ExitCode.*-1'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'mount callback failed.*path escapes from parent'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ error_messages:
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+ - "openat etc/passwd: path escapes from parent"
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+ - "openat etc/group: path escapes from parent"
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+ - "mount callback failed on /tmp/containerd-mount...: openat etc/passwd: path escapes from parent"
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+ - "ExitCode: -1 (exit code -1)"
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+ root_cause: |
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+ containerd v2.2.0+ (built with Go 1.24) introduced stricter path validation via Go 1.24's
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+ `os.Root` API. When Docker starts or runs a health check on a container whose image has
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+ `/etc/passwd` or `/etc/group` symlinked to an **absolute path** (e.g., NixOS images where
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+ `/etc/passwd → /nix/store/.../passwd`), containerd misinterprets the symlink target as
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+ escaping the container root filesystem and raises:
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+ `openat etc/passwd: path escapes from parent`.
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+
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+ **Affected container images:**
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+ - **NixOS-based images** (e.g., `nixos/nix:latest`) — `/etc/passwd → /nix/store/.../passwd`
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+ - **ngrok container images** — use absolute symlinks for system files
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+ - **Android emulator images** — `/etc` itself may be an absolute symlink to `/system/etc`
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+ - Any image where the symlink target for `/etc/passwd` or `/etc/group` starts with `/`
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+
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+ **Impact on GitHub Actions workflows:**
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+ 1. Service containers with HEALTHCHECK definitions fail with `ExitCode: -1` even when the
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+ service is actually running correctly
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+ 2. Container jobs (`container: image: nixos/nix:latest`) fail at startup before any steps run
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+ 3. Docker `run` steps using affected images fail with `path escapes from parent` in logs
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+
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+ **Status on GitHub-hosted runners:**
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+ - **Windows runners** (windows-2022, windows-2025, windows-11-arm64): containerd v2.2.x
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+ shipped with Docker 29 on February 9, 2026 — **currently affected**
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+ - **Ubuntu runners**: containerd v2.2.x deployed February 9, 2026 then **rolled back on
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+ February 20, 2026** due to this and related issues (runner-images#13682, #13684, #13691);
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+ tracked for re-deployment in runner-images#14105
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+
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+ A partial fix was merged in containerd v2.2.2 (commit 85b5418e) addressing the case where
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+ `/etc/passwd` itself is a direct absolute symlink. However, the case where an **intermediate
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+ directory** (e.g., `/etc` is an absolute symlink to `/system/etc`) remains broken and open
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+ in containerd#13382 as of May 2026.
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+
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+ Source: actions/runner-images#13682 (Feb 2026), containerd/containerd#12683,
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+ reubeno/brush#999 (real-world GitHub Actions failure)
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+ fix: |
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+ **Option 1 — Convert absolute symlinks to relative in a pre-step (most portable fix):**
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+ Add a step before any Docker operations that resolves absolute `/etc/passwd` and
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+ `/etc/group` symlinks to relative equivalents inside the container. This approach works
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+ even when you cannot modify the container image.
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+
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+ **Option 2 — Build a derived image with relative symlinks:**
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+ Create a `Dockerfile` that `FROM` the affected image and replaces the absolute symlinks
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+ with relative ones. This is the most reliable long-term fix when you own the workflow.
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+
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+ **Option 3 — Use an alternative image without absolute symlinks:**
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+ Standard Ubuntu, Debian, and Alpine images use regular files (not symlinks) for
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+ `/etc/passwd` and `/etc/group` — they are unaffected. If the workflow can use a
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+ different base image, this sidesteps the issue entirely.
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+
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+ **Option 4 — Pin containerd to v2.1.x on self-hosted runners:**
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+ On self-hosted runners where you control Docker/containerd versions, remain on
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+ containerd v1.7.x or v2.1.x until containerd v2.2.3+ resolves all absolute symlink cases.
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+ fix_code:
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+ - language: yaml
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+ label: 'Workaround — convert absolute /etc symlinks in a pre-step (NixOS/ngrok containers)'
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+ code: |
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+ jobs:
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+ test:
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+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
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+ container:
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+ image: nixos/nix:latest
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+ steps:
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+ - name: Fix absolute /etc symlinks (containerd v2.2+ workaround)
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+ run: |
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+ for f in /etc/passwd /etc/group; do
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+ if [ -L "$f" ]; then
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+ target=$(readlink "$f")
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+ if echo "$target" | grep -q '^/'; then
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+ # Convert absolute symlink to relative
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+ rel=$(python3 -c "import os; print(os.path.relpath('$target', '/etc'))")
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+ ln -sf "$rel" "$f"
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+ fi
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+ fi
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+ done
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+ - name: Run tests
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+ run: nix run nixpkgs#hello
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+
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+ - language: yaml
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+ label: 'Build a derived image that replaces absolute symlinks with relative ones'
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+ code: |
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+ # Dockerfile.fixed — used for CI to avoid the containerd v2.2 regression:
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+ # FROM nixos/nix:latest
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+ # RUN for f in /etc/passwd /etc/group; do \
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+ # if [ -L "$f" ]; then \
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+ # target=$(readlink "$f"); \
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+ # rel=$(python3 -c "import os; print(os.path.relpath('$target', '/etc'))"); \
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+ # ln -sf "$rel" "$f"; \
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+ # fi; \
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+ # done
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+
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+ # In workflow — build derived image first:
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+ steps:
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+ - name: Build patched image
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+ run: docker build -f Dockerfile.fixed -t my-nix-fixed .
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+
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+ - name: Use patched image
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+ run: docker run --rm my-nix-fixed nix run nixpkgs#hello
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+
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+ - language: yaml
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+ label: 'Use Alpine or Debian service container instead of NixOS/ngrok'
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+ code: |
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+ # Unaffected base images (no absolute symlinks for /etc/passwd):
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+ # redis:7-alpine, postgres:16-alpine, debian:bookworm-slim, ubuntu:24.04
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+ jobs:
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+ test:
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+ runs-on: windows-2025 # Docker 29 + containerd v2.2 — always active on Windows
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+ services:
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+ redis:
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+ image: redis:7-alpine
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+ options: >-
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+ --health-cmd "redis-cli ping"
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+ --health-interval 10s
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+ --health-timeout 5s
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+ --health-retries 5
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+ prevention:
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+ - 'Never use NixOS, ngrok, or Android emulator container images as service containers on Windows runners without the absolute-symlink workaround — Windows runners have had containerd v2.2.x since Feb 2026.'
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+ - 'Check if your container image uses absolute /etc/passwd symlinks with: `docker run --rm <image> readlink /etc/passwd`. If the output starts with "/", it will fail on containerd v2.2+.'
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+ - 'Use official distribution base images (Alpine, Debian, Ubuntu) for service containers when possible — they use regular files for /etc/passwd and are unaffected.'
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+ - 'Monitor runner-images#14105 for the Ubuntu Docker 29 re-deployment timeline — once Ubuntu runners re-deploy Docker 29, this issue will re-appear on Linux jobs as well.'
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+ docs:
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+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/13682'
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+ label: 'runner-images#13682 — Container healthchecks failing with path escapes on Ubuntu runners'
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+ - url: 'https://github.com/containerd/containerd/issues/12683'
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+ label: 'containerd#12683 — v2.2.0 fails to create containers with /etc/passwd as absolute symlink'
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+ - url: 'https://github.com/containerd/containerd/issues/13382'
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+ label: 'containerd#13382 — v2.2+ fails when /etc directory itself is an absolute symlink'
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+ - url: 'https://github.com/reubeno/brush/issues/999'
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+ label: 'brush#999 — Real-world GitHub Actions failure with nixos/nix container'
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+ id: runner-environment-242
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+ title: 'Docker Engine v29 raises minimum API to 1.44 — old SDK clients fail with "client version X is too old"'
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+ category: runner-environment
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+ severity: error
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+ tags:
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+ - docker
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+ - docker-29
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+ - api-version
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+ - sdk
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+ - windows
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+ - runner-image-update
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+ - python-docker
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+ patterns:
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+ - regex: 'client version \d+\.\d+ is too old\. Minimum supported API version is 1\.4[4-9]'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'Error response from daemon: client version.*Minimum supported API version is 1\.4[4-9]'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ - regex: 'minimum supported API version.*1\.4[4-9]|API version.*too old.*upgrade your client'
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+ flags: 'i'
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+ error_messages:
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+ - "Error response from daemon: client version 1.41 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version"
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+ - "Error response from daemon: client version 1.43 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version"
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+ - "Error response from daemon: client version 1.24 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version"
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+ root_cause: |
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+ Docker Engine v29.0 (released November 2025) raised the **minimum supported Docker daemon
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+ API version from 1.24 to 1.44**. Any Docker SDK client that negotiates API version 1.43 or
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+ lower receives:
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+ `"Error response from daemon: client version 1.41 is too old. Minimum supported API version
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+ is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version"`.
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+
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+ **API version 1.44 corresponds to Docker Engine 23.0**. Any SDK client built against Docker
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+ < 23.0 will fail when the daemon is Docker Engine v29+.
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+
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+ **Impact on GitHub Actions — current status:**
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+ - **Windows runners** (windows-2022, windows-2025, windows-11-arm64): Docker 29.x deployed
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+ February 9, 2026 — **currently affected on Windows workflows**
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+ - **Ubuntu runners**: Docker 29.x rolled back February 20, 2026 due to related issues
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+ (runner-images#13682, #13684); re-deployment tracked in runner-images#14105
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+
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+ **Affected tools and workflows:**
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+ - Python `docker` library ≤ 6.1.3 (negotiates API 1.41 by default) — upgrade to ≥ 7.0.0
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+ - `google/oss-fuzz` CIFuzz action — uses internal Python docker client negotiating API 1.41;
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+ affected every project using `google/oss-fuzz/infra/cifuzz/actions/build_fuzzers@master`
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+ - Go `github.com/docker/docker/client` packages pinned to Docker < 23.0 API
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+ - Any workflow tool, action, or custom script that embeds its own Docker SDK rather than
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+ invoking the CLI `docker` command
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+ - GitHub Codespaces dev container CI workflows using Docker SDK library in test scripts
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+
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+ **Note:** This is distinct from the Docker Compose v1/v2 breaking changes (see
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+ `docker-29-compose-v2-40-breaking.yml` / re-031), which covers Compose CLI changes.
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+ This entry covers SDK API negotiation failures from non-CLI Docker clients.
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+
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+ Source: google/oss-fuzz#14945 (Feb 2026), actions/runner-images#13474, docker/docs#23910
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+ fix: |
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+ **Option 1 — Upgrade Python docker library to ≥ 7.0.0:**
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+ The most common case. Python docker SDK ≥ 7.0.0 negotiates API 1.47+ which is compatible
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+ with Docker Engine 29.
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+
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+ **Option 2 — Use the Docker CLI instead of SDK calls:**
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+ Replace Python/Go SDK calls with `docker build`, `docker run`, etc. via `run:` steps. The
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+ Docker CLI always negotiates the correct API version with the daemon automatically.
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+
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+ **Option 3 — Set DOCKER_API_VERSION environment variable:**
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+ Some SDKs honor `DOCKER_API_VERSION=1.44` as an override. However this only works if the
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+ SDK actually implements the 1.44 protocol — just setting the env var won't upgrade an
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+ SDK that doesn't support 1.44.
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+
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+ **Option 4 — Pin the affected tool to an updated version:**
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+ For CIFuzz: the fix was deployed to `google/oss-fuzz` within hours of the issue being
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+ reported. Pin `@master` to get the fix, or wait for a tagged release. For any other
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+ action/tool embedding Docker SDK, check for an updated release that bumps the SDK.
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+ fix_code:
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+ - language: yaml
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+ label: 'Upgrade Python docker SDK in workflow before using it'
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+ code: |
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+ # The error appears in workflows using Python docker library <= 6.1.3
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+ # Example error:
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+ # Error response from daemon: client version 1.41 is too old.
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+ # Minimum supported API version is 1.44
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+ steps:
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+ - name: Upgrade Docker Python SDK
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+ run: pip install 'docker>=7.0.0'
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+
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+ - name: Run Docker-based tests
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+ run: python -m pytest tests/docker/
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+
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+ - language: yaml
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+ label: 'Replace SDK docker.from_env() calls with Docker CLI'
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+ code: |
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+ # Instead of Python SDK:
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+ # import docker
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+ # client = docker.from_env()
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+ # client.images.build(path='.', tag='my-image')
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+ # Use the CLI directly via shell steps:
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+ steps:
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+ - name: Build Docker image
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+ run: docker build -t my-image:latest .
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+
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+ - name: Run container
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+ run: docker run --rm my-image:latest ./run-tests.sh
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+
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+ - name: Push to registry
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+ run: docker push my-image:latest
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+
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+ - language: yaml
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+ label: 'Check Docker API version compatibility in your workflow'
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+ code: |
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+ # Run this step to diagnose version negotiation issues:
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+ steps:
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+ - name: Show Docker version information
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+ run: |
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+ docker version
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+ # Server.APIVersion: 1.47 (what the daemon offers)
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+ # Client.APIVersion: 1.47 (what the CLI uses — always current)
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+ # If using Python sdk: python3 -c "import docker; c=docker.from_env(); print(c.version())"
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+ # If sdk prints error about client version, upgrade docker>=7.0.0
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+ prevention:
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+ - 'Avoid embedding Docker SDK client calls in workflow scripts — always prefer the Docker CLI via run: steps, which auto-negotiates the correct API version.'
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+ - 'When the Python docker library IS required, pin it to >=7.0.0 in requirements.txt or install it explicitly in a workflow step before use.'
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+ - 'Test workflows on windows-2025 before ubuntu re-deployment of Docker 29 — Windows runners already expose the Docker 29 min API 1.44 constraint.'
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+ - 'If using google/oss-fuzz CIFuzz, ensure you reference a recent commit — the fix for API 1.41 incompatibility was deployed in Feb 2026.'
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+ - 'When adding new tool dependencies that use Docker, check the docker-py version they require and whether it supports API >= 1.44.'
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+ docs:
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+ - url: 'https://github.com/google/oss-fuzz/issues/14945'
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+ label: 'oss-fuzz#14945 — CIFuzz fails with client version 1.41 too old after Docker v29 update'
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+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/13474'
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+ label: 'runner-images#13474 — Docker 29.1.* update announcement (Feb 9, 2026)'
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+ - url: 'https://docs.docker.com/reference/api/engine/'
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+ label: 'Docker Engine API reference — version compatibility matrix'
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+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/14105'
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+ label: 'runner-images#14105 — Docker v29 Ubuntu re-deployment tracking issue'
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
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+ id: runner-environment-243
2
+ title: 'macOS 26 runner — Xcode_26.0.app path does not exist; only Xcode_26.0.1.app is installed'
3
+ category: runner-environment
4
+ severity: error
5
+ tags:
6
+ - macos-26
7
+ - xcode
8
+ - xcode-select
9
+ - sdk-not-found
10
+ - runner-image
11
+ - ios
12
+ - version-naming
13
+ patterns:
14
+ - regex: 'SDK.*Xcode_26\.0\.app.*cannot be located|Xcode_26\.0\.app.*SDK.*cannot be located'
15
+ flags: 'i'
16
+ - regex: 'xcode-select.*Xcode_26\.0\.app.*no such file|invalid developer directory.*Xcode_26\.0\.app'
17
+ flags: 'i'
18
+ - regex: 'xcodebuild: error: SDK.*Xcode_26\.0[^.1].*cannot be located'
19
+ flags: 'i'
20
+ - regex: '/Applications/Xcode_26\.0\.app.*does not exist'
21
+ flags: 'i'
22
+ error_messages:
23
+ - "xcodebuild: error: SDK \"/Applications/Xcode_26.0.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk\" cannot be located."
24
+ - "xcode-select: error: invalid developer directory '/Applications/Xcode_26.0.app/Contents/Developer'"
25
+ - "error: '/Applications/Xcode_26.0.app' does not exist or is not a directory"
26
+ root_cause: |
27
+ On `macos-26` and `macos-26-arm64` runners, Xcode applications are installed with their
28
+ **full version number including patch** in the directory name:
29
+ - `Xcode_26.0.1.app` — NOT `Xcode_26.0.app`
30
+ - `Xcode_26.2.app`
31
+ - `Xcode_26.4.1.app` — NOT `Xcode_26.4.app`
32
+
33
+ Workflows that hardcode `/Applications/Xcode_26.0.app` in `xcode-select --switch` or in
34
+ `DEVELOPER_DIR` environment variables fail immediately because the path does not exist.
35
+ No backward-compatible symlink (`Xcode_26.0.app → Xcode_26.0.1.app`) is created.
36
+
37
+ **Why this changed:** Starting with Xcode 26, Apple's versioning scheme includes a patch
38
+ component (major.minor.patch) that is reflected in the installed application directory name
39
+ when the patch is non-zero. This differs from Xcode 16 and earlier where the directory name
40
+ omitted the patch (e.g., `Xcode_16.4.app` is actually Xcode 16.4.0).
41
+
42
+ **Note on the "26.0" naming gap:** The first generally-available Xcode for macOS 26 was
43
+ Xcode 26.0.1 (not 26.0.0). This means `Xcode_26.0.app` was never installed — the runner
44
+ image went straight from having no Xcode 26 to having `Xcode_26.0.1.app`.
45
+
46
+ Source: actions/runner-images#13743 (Feb 2026)
47
+ fix: |
48
+ **Option 1 — Use maxim-lobanov/setup-xcode action (recommended):**
49
+ This action resolves Xcode paths dynamically from the runner's installed versions and
50
+ handles the naming scheme automatically. Specify an exact version like `'26.0.1'` or
51
+ `'latest-stable'`.
52
+
53
+ **Option 2 — Hardcode the full version including patch:**
54
+ Replace `Xcode_26.0.app` with `Xcode_26.0.1.app`. Always check the runner image Readme
55
+ for the exact installed filename before pinning.
56
+
57
+ **Option 3 — List available versions at runtime:**
58
+ Add a discovery step that lists `/Applications/Xcode*.app/` and uses the result to
59
+ select the correct version dynamically.
60
+ fix_code:
61
+ - language: yaml
62
+ label: 'Use setup-xcode to resolve Xcode path automatically (recommended)'
63
+ code: |
64
+ # setup-xcode handles the naming scheme and patches for you
65
+ jobs:
66
+ build-ios:
67
+ runs-on: macos-26
68
+ steps:
69
+ - uses: actions/checkout@v4
70
+
71
+ - uses: maxim-lobanov/setup-xcode@v1
72
+ with:
73
+ xcode-version: '26.0.1' # full version including patch
74
+
75
+ - name: Build
76
+ run: xcodebuild -scheme MyApp -destination generic/platform=iOS build
77
+
78
+ - language: yaml
79
+ label: 'Pin correct full-patch version in xcode-select --switch'
80
+ code: |
81
+ # Wrong — path does not exist on macos-26:
82
+ # - run: sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode_26.0.app/Contents/Developer
83
+
84
+ # Correct — include the patch version:
85
+ jobs:
86
+ build-ios:
87
+ runs-on: macos-26
88
+ steps:
89
+ - name: Select Xcode 26.0.1
90
+ run: sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode_26.0.1.app/Contents/Developer
91
+
92
+ - name: Verify Xcode version
93
+ run: xcodebuild -version
94
+
95
+ - language: yaml
96
+ label: 'Discover installed Xcode versions at runtime'
97
+ code: |
98
+ # Add a discovery step to find what is actually installed:
99
+ steps:
100
+ - name: List installed Xcode versions
101
+ run: |
102
+ echo "Available Xcode installations:"
103
+ ls -la /Applications/Xcode*.app/ 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $NF}'
104
+ echo ""
105
+ echo "Currently selected Xcode:"
106
+ xcode-select -p
107
+ xcodebuild -version
108
+
109
+ prevention:
110
+ - 'Never hardcode Xcode application directory paths — use maxim-lobanov/setup-xcode@v1 with a specific xcode-version that includes the patch number.'
111
+ - 'When pinning a path is required, always look up the exact installed path in the runner image Readme: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/macos/macos-26-arm64-Readme.md#xcode'
112
+ - 'For Xcode 26.x, always include the patch in version strings: "26.0.1" not "26.0", "26.4.1" not "26.4".'
113
+ - 'Subscribe to runner-images announcements to get advance notice of Xcode version updates that change installed paths.'
114
+ docs:
115
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/13743'
116
+ label: 'runner-images#13743 — Xcode 26.0 symlink not working on macos-26 (Feb 2026)'
117
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/macos/macos-26-arm64-Readme.md'
118
+ label: 'macOS 26 arm64 runner image Readme — installed Xcode versions'
119
+ - url: 'https://github.com/maxim-lobanov/setup-xcode'
120
+ label: 'maxim-lobanov/setup-xcode — recommended action for Xcode version selection'
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
1
+ id: runner-environment-244
2
+ title: 'macOS 26 — iOS/watchOS/tvOS 26.0 simulator runtimes removed when Xcode 26.4 GA deployed'
3
+ category: runner-environment
4
+ severity: error
5
+ tags:
6
+ - macos-26
7
+ - xcode
8
+ - ios-simulator
9
+ - simulator-runtime
10
+ - xcodebuild
11
+ - runtime-removed
12
+ - runner-image-update
13
+ patterns:
14
+ - regex: 'Unable to find a destination matching the provided destination specifier.*OS:26\.0[^.]'
15
+ flags: 'i'
16
+ - regex: 'Unable to boot.*Simulator.*26\.0[^.].*unavailable|The destination.*iOS.*26\.0[^.].*not available'
17
+ flags: 'i'
18
+ - regex: 'Could not find a simulator runtime for.*26\.0[^.]|No matching destinations for.*OS.*26\.0'
19
+ flags: 'i'
20
+ - regex: 'simulator.*OS=26\.0[^.][^0-9].*not found|destination.*platform=iOS Simulator.*OS:26\.0[^.].*unavailable'
21
+ flags: 'i'
22
+ error_messages:
23
+ - "xcodebuild: error: Unable to find a destination matching the provided destination specifier: { platform:iOS Simulator, OS:26.0 }"
24
+ - "Unable to boot the Simulator. The request to boot 'iOS 26.0 Simulator' was denied because the destination is incompatible with this version of Xcode."
25
+ - "Could not find a simulator runtime for 'iOS 26.0'"
26
+ - "No matching destinations for { platform:iOS Simulator, OS:26.0 }"
27
+ root_cause: |
28
+ On April 1, 2026, GitHub merged runner-images PR #13875 which moved Xcode 26.4 from Release
29
+ Candidate to GA on `macos-26` and `macos-26-arm64` runner images. As part of this change:
30
+
31
+ - **Added:** iOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4 simulator runtimes
32
+ - **Removed:** iOS 26.0.1, watchOS 26.0.1, tvOS 26.0.1, visionOS 26.0.1 simulator runtimes
33
+
34
+ GitHub Actions images support **at most three runtime sets per Xcode** due to disk space
35
+ constraints (documented in macos-15-xcode-simulator-sdk-policy.yml). When a new runtime set
36
+ is added, the oldest is removed.
37
+
38
+ **Affected workflows:**
39
+ - Workflows that pin `OS:26.0` in xcodebuild `-destination` strings (e.g.,
40
+ `-destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16,OS=26.0'`)
41
+ - Workflows using `xcrun simctl list runtimes` that previously found `iOS 26.0` and now
42
+ find only `iOS 26.2` and `iOS 26.4` (or later versions)
43
+ - `fastlane scan` or similar tools configured with a hardcoded iOS 26.0 simulator target
44
+ - Any tooling that generates test matrices including `iOS 26.0` destinations
45
+
46
+ Simulator runtimes **currently available** on macos-26 after the April 1 change:
47
+ - iOS 26.2 + watchOS 26.2 + tvOS 26.2 + visionOS 26.2
48
+ - iOS 26.4 + watchOS 26.4 + tvOS 26.4 + visionOS 26.4
49
+ (The exact installed runtimes change with each Xcode GA deployment. Always check the runner
50
+ image Readme for the current set.)
51
+
52
+ Source: actions/runner-images PR #13875 (merged April 1, 2026), runner-images#13853
53
+ fix: |
54
+ **Option 1 — Update destination to use an available runtime version:**
55
+ Replace `OS:26.0` with `OS:26.4` (or `latest-available`) in xcodebuild destination strings.
56
+ Pin to a specific available version to avoid future breakage.
57
+
58
+ **Option 2 — Use `latest-available` as the OS version:**
59
+ Some xcodebuild invocations accept `OS:latest-available` as the OS specifier, which picks
60
+ the newest installed runtime matching the platform. This avoids hard-coding a version.
61
+
62
+ **Option 3 — Use the maxim-lobanov/setup-ios-simulator action:**
63
+ This action can download and install a specific simulator runtime on demand, decoupling
64
+ your workflow from what is pre-installed on the runner image.
65
+
66
+ **Option 4 — Query available runtimes at runtime and select dynamically:**
67
+ Use `xcrun simctl list runtimes` to discover what is installed before running tests, then
68
+ construct the `-destination` argument from the actual available runtimes.
69
+ fix_code:
70
+ - language: yaml
71
+ label: 'Update destination to latest available simulator runtime'
72
+ code: |
73
+ jobs:
74
+ test-ios:
75
+ runs-on: macos-26
76
+ steps:
77
+ - uses: actions/checkout@v4
78
+
79
+ - uses: maxim-lobanov/setup-xcode@v1
80
+ with:
81
+ xcode-version: 'latest-stable'
82
+
83
+ # Wrong — iOS 26.0 runtime no longer installed:
84
+ # - run: xcodebuild test -scheme MyApp
85
+ # -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16,OS=26.0'
86
+
87
+ # Correct — use an installed runtime version:
88
+ - name: Run iOS tests
89
+ run: |
90
+ xcodebuild test \
91
+ -scheme MyApp \
92
+ -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16,OS=26.4'
93
+
94
+ - language: yaml
95
+ label: 'Use latest-available OS version to avoid future runtime removals'
96
+ code: |
97
+ # latest-available picks the newest installed runtime automatically:
98
+ steps:
99
+ - name: Run iOS tests
100
+ run: |
101
+ xcodebuild test \
102
+ -scheme MyApp \
103
+ -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16,OS=latest-available'
104
+
105
+ - language: yaml
106
+ label: 'Discover installed simulator runtimes before running tests'
107
+ code: |
108
+ # Add a diagnostic step to see what runtimes are available:
109
+ steps:
110
+ - name: List installed simulator runtimes
111
+ run: xcrun simctl list runtimes
112
+
113
+ # Example output after April 2026:
114
+ # == Runtimes ==
115
+ # iOS 26.2 (26.2) - com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-26-2
116
+ # iOS 26.4 (26.4) - com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-26-4
117
+ # watchOS 26.2 ...
118
+ # (iOS 26.0 is NO LONGER listed)
119
+
120
+ - name: Run tests against iOS 26.4
121
+ run: |
122
+ xcodebuild test \
123
+ -scheme MyApp \
124
+ -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16,OS=26.4'
125
+ prevention:
126
+ - 'Never hardcode specific iOS/watchOS/tvOS simulator runtime version numbers in xcodebuild destination strings — use OS:latest-available or dynamically query installed runtimes.'
127
+ - 'Check the macOS runner image Readme before each Xcode GA update to verify which simulator runtime sets are installed: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/macos/macos-26-arm64-Readme.md'
128
+ - 'Subscribe to runner-images announcements and PRs that add new Xcode GA versions — they always remove the oldest simulator runtime set.'
129
+ - 'If you need to test against a specific older runtime, use maxim-lobanov/setup-ios-simulator to download it on demand rather than relying on pre-installed runtimes.'
130
+ docs:
131
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner-images/pull/13875'
132
+ label: 'runner-images PR #13875 — Xcode 26.4 GA: added 26.4 runtimes, removed 26.0.1 runtimes'
133
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/13853'
134
+ label: 'runner-images#13853 — macos-26-arm64 Xcode 26.4 RC missing iOS 26.4 simulator runtime'
135
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/macos/macos-26-arm64-Readme.md'
136
+ label: 'macOS 26 arm64 runner image Readme — installed simulators section'
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
1
+ id: runner-environment-245
2
+ title: 'ARC ephemeral runner pod hangs indefinitely after workflow job cancellation — "Skipping message Job. Job message not found ... job was canceled"'
3
+ category: runner-environment
4
+ severity: error
5
+ tags:
6
+ - arc
7
+ - kubernetes
8
+ - ephemeral-runner
9
+ - cancellation
10
+ - stuck-runner
11
+ - gha-runner-scale-set
12
+ - job-canceled
13
+ patterns:
14
+ - regex: 'Skipping message Job\. Job message not found .+ job was canceled'
15
+ flags: 'i'
16
+ - regex: 'EphemeralRunner.*status.*Running.*canceled'
17
+ flags: 'i'
18
+ - regex: 'Registration .+ was not found\.'
19
+ flags: 'i'
20
+ - regex: 'POST request to .+acquirejob failed\. HTTP Status: Conflict'
21
+ flags: 'i'
22
+ error_messages:
23
+ - "Skipping message Job. Job message not found 'e420db7b-c780-5ae4-8145-4eea09b87aea'. job was canceled"
24
+ - "POST request to https://run-actions-*.actions.githubusercontent.com/*/acquirejob failed. HTTP Status: Conflict"
25
+ - "Registration 470d6c87-f8c4-411f-87d0-6b069233ccc7 was not found."
26
+ root_cause: |
27
+ When a GitHub Actions workflow job is canceled (manually or by concurrency group
28
+ cancellation) while an ARC ephemeral runner is in the process of starting up or
29
+ acquiring the job message, the runner pod enters a broken state:
30
+
31
+ 1. The broker sends a "job was canceled" message on the runner's job socket.
32
+ 2. The runner logs: "Skipping message Job. Job message not found 'X'. job was canceled"
33
+ 3. **The runner process does not exit** — it waits for a new job message that
34
+ will never arrive, because ephemeral runners are single-use and the broker
35
+ considers this runner's slot exhausted.
36
+ 4. The ARC controller sees the EphemeralRunner pod still in `Running` phase with
37
+ a live runner process. It does NOT delete and recreate the pod.
38
+ 5. The runner slot is held indefinitely. No new job can be dispatched to this slot.
39
+ Workflows queue but cannot start, consuming queue capacity without making progress.
40
+
41
+ **Secondary failure mode**: After the canceled-job hang, the runner may also
42
+ attempt to re-acquire its registration token. Since the ephemeral runner's
43
+ registration was already consumed or expired, this fails with:
44
+ `Registration 'X' was not found.`
45
+ The BrokerServer then throws repeatedly, producing a growing error log.
46
+
47
+ **Impact**: In a scale set with `minRunners > 0`, each canceled job permanently
48
+ removes one runner slot from the pool until the pod is manually deleted or the
49
+ scale set is bounced. With frequent cancellations (e.g., PR pushes with concurrency
50
+ cancel-in-progress), the pool drains completely and CI halts.
51
+
52
+ Source: actions/actions-runner-controller#4307 (Nov 2025, 11 reactions, open).
53
+ Also related: ARC#4468 (scale set queuing delay during burst) — adjacent but distinct.
54
+ fix: |
55
+ **Option 1 — Delete stuck EphemeralRunner objects manually (immediate relief):**
56
+ Identify stuck pods — they have been Running for longer than any expected job
57
+ duration and show "job was canceled" in their logs:
58
+
59
+ ```bash
60
+ kubectl get ephemerals -n arc-runners --sort-by=.metadata.creationTimestamp
61
+ kubectl logs <stuck-pod-name> -n arc-runners | grep "job was canceled"
62
+ kubectl delete ephemeralrunner <stuck-pod-name> -n arc-runners
63
+ ```
64
+
65
+ **Option 2 — Add a watchdog sidecar or CronJob to detect and kill stuck runners:**
66
+ Run a periodic job that identifies EphemeralRunner pods that have been in Running
67
+ phase beyond `maxRunnerLifetime` and have no active child processes (no build
68
+ tools, compilers, or test runners as descendants):
69
+
70
+ ```bash
71
+ # Detect hung runners: Running > 30 min with no CPU activity
72
+ kubectl get ephemerals -n arc-runners -o json | \
73
+ jq '.items[] | select(.status.phase=="Running") | .metadata.name'
74
+ ```
75
+
76
+ **Option 3 — Configure autoscaling to replace stuck runners via scale-down:**
77
+ Set `maxRunners` to a value that triggers KEDA scale-down when load is low.
78
+ Scale-down deletes idle pods, including stuck ones. Ephemeral runners in the
79
+ "stuck/waiting" state appear idle to KEDA and will be cleaned up on the next
80
+ scale-down cycle.
81
+
82
+ **Option 4 — Use concurrency groups carefully to reduce cancellations:**
83
+ Each job cancellation risks creating a stuck runner. Reduce cancellation frequency
84
+ by scoping concurrency groups more narrowly (per-branch rather than per-repo):
85
+
86
+ ```yaml
87
+ concurrency:
88
+ group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
89
+ cancel-in-progress: true
90
+ ```
91
+
92
+ **Option 5 — Upgrade ARC and runner image:**
93
+ Track the upstream fix in ARC#4307. Check ARC release notes for a fix to the
94
+ runner's post-cancellation cleanup path. Ensure runner image is on the latest
95
+ minor version.
96
+ fix_code:
97
+ - language: yaml
98
+ label: 'Kubernetes CronJob watchdog to delete stuck ARC ephemeral runners'
99
+ code: |
100
+ apiVersion: batch/v1
101
+ kind: CronJob
102
+ metadata:
103
+ name: arc-runner-watchdog
104
+ namespace: arc-runners
105
+ spec:
106
+ schedule: "*/10 * * * *"
107
+ jobTemplate:
108
+ spec:
109
+ template:
110
+ spec:
111
+ serviceAccountName: arc-runner-watchdog-sa
112
+ containers:
113
+ - name: watchdog
114
+ image: bitnami/kubectl:latest
115
+ command:
116
+ - /bin/sh
117
+ - -c
118
+ - |
119
+ TIMEOUT_MINUTES=30
120
+ NOW=$(date +%s)
121
+ kubectl get ephemeralrunners -n arc-runners -o json | \
122
+ jq -r --argjson now "$NOW" --argjson timeout "$((TIMEOUT_MINUTES * 60))" \
123
+ '.items[] | select(.status.phase=="Running") |
124
+ select(($now - (.metadata.creationTimestamp | fromdateiso8601)) > $timeout) |
125
+ .metadata.name' | \
126
+ xargs -r -I{} kubectl delete ephemeralrunner {} -n arc-runners
127
+ restartPolicy: OnFailure
128
+ - language: yaml
129
+ label: 'Narrow concurrency groups to reduce job cancellations hitting ARC'
130
+ code: |
131
+ name: CI
132
+ on:
133
+ push:
134
+ branches: ['**']
135
+ pull_request:
136
+ concurrency:
137
+ # Scope to branch — only cancels duplicate runs on the same branch,
138
+ # not across all branches (reduces how often ARC runners get hit by cancellations)
139
+ group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
140
+ cancel-in-progress: true
141
+ jobs:
142
+ build:
143
+ runs-on:
144
+ group: my-scale-set
145
+ steps:
146
+ - uses: actions/checkout@v4
147
+ - run: make build
148
+ prevention:
149
+ - "Monitor EphemeralRunner pod ages; any pod in Running phase beyond 2x your longest job duration is likely stuck"
150
+ - "Use narrow concurrency group scopes (per-branch) to minimize the frequency of job cancellations hitting ARC runners"
151
+ - "Configure KEDA scale-down (minRunners: 0 during off-hours) to naturally clear stuck runner pods"
152
+ - "Keep ARC controller and runner image on the latest stable release; the stuck-on-cancel bug has active upstream attention in ARC#4307"
153
+ - "For high-cancellation workflows (PR push loops), consider using GitHub-hosted runners which handle cancellation cleanup server-side"
154
+ docs:
155
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/actions-runner-controller/issues/4307'
156
+ label: 'ARC#4307: Ephemeral Runners get stuck when job is canceled or interrupted (11 reactions, open)'
157
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/actions-runner-controller/blob/master/docs/gha-runner-scale-set-controller/README.md'
158
+ label: 'ARC: GitHub Actions Runner Scale Set documentation'
159
+ - url: 'https://docs.github.com/en/actions/hosting-your-own-runners/managing-self-hosted-runners-with-actions-runner-controller/troubleshooting-actions-runner-controller-errors'
160
+ label: 'GitHub Docs: Troubleshooting ARC errors'
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
1
+ id: silent-failures-120
2
+ title: 'github.event.schedule returns stale cron expression for 1-2 runs after updating workflow schedule'
3
+ category: silent-failures
4
+ severity: silent-failure
5
+ tags:
6
+ - schedule
7
+ - cron
8
+ - github.event.schedule
9
+ - stale-value
10
+ - routing
11
+ - trigger-payload
12
+ patterns:
13
+ - regex: 'github\.event\.schedule.*[0-9\*\/\-\,]+'
14
+ flags: 'i'
15
+ - regex: 'Unknown schedule:\s+[0-9\*\/\-\, ]+'
16
+ flags: 'i'
17
+ - regex: 'Evaluating String.*=>\s+''[0-9\*\/\-\, ]+'''
18
+ flags: 'i'
19
+ error_messages:
20
+ - "Error: Unknown schedule: 0 5 * * *"
21
+ - "##[debug]....=> '0 5 * * *'"
22
+ - "github.event.schedule evaluates to removed cron expression"
23
+ root_cause: |
24
+ GitHub's schedule dispatcher caches the cron expression strings associated with
25
+ each workflow internally. When a workflow's `on.schedule` block is updated (cron
26
+ expression changed or removed) and pushed to the default branch, the dispatcher's
27
+ internal state does not immediately sync with the new YAML. For 1-2 scheduled runs
28
+ after the change, the dispatcher fires the workflow with the OLD cron expression
29
+ in `github.event.schedule`, even though the executed YAML already contains the
30
+ updated cron string.
31
+
32
+ This means:
33
+ - A workflow with routing logic such as `if: github.event.schedule == '0 5 * * 1-5'`
34
+ silently skips those steps during the transition window
35
+ - A `case`/`switch`-style step that branches on `github.event.schedule` hits an
36
+ "unknown schedule" branch and logs a confusing error
37
+ - Multi-schedule workflows that use `github.event.schedule` to dispatch different jobs
38
+ produce wrong results for 1-2 runs post-update
39
+
40
+ The stale value typically clears within the next scheduled trigger cycle once the
41
+ dispatcher re-reads the updated workflow YAML from the default branch. The actual
42
+ workflow code that runs is the CURRENT version — only the event payload is stale.
43
+
44
+ Source: actions/runner#4241 (Feb 2026) — real-world failure confirmed in
45
+ ava-labs/firewood with stale '0 5 * * *' firing after update to '0 5 * * 1-5',
46
+ with debug logs showing the old value in the evaluator.
47
+ fix: |
48
+ **Option 1 — Use a fallback in cron-routing logic:**
49
+ When switching cron expressions, treat the transition period gracefully by adding
50
+ the OLD expression to your routing logic temporarily. After 2-3 scheduled cycles,
51
+ remove the old branch.
52
+
53
+ **Option 2 — Avoid routing on github.event.schedule entirely:**
54
+ Use separate workflow files for each schedule instead of branching inside one
55
+ workflow on `github.event.schedule`. Each schedule in its own file has an
56
+ independent dispatch state.
57
+
58
+ **Option 3 — Trigger a manual run after updating the schedule:**
59
+ After pushing the cron change, trigger the workflow via `workflow_dispatch` once.
60
+ This forces the dispatcher to re-evaluate the workflow file and typically clears
61
+ the stale state before the next real scheduled run.
62
+
63
+ **Option 4 — Accept and handle the stale run:**
64
+ Add a default/fallback case to your routing logic that gracefully handles an
65
+ unexpected `github.event.schedule` value rather than erroring:
66
+
67
+ ```yaml
68
+ - name: Route by schedule
69
+ run: |
70
+ case "${{ github.event.schedule }}" in
71
+ '0 5 * * 1-5') echo "Weekday run" ;;
72
+ '0 5 * * 6') echo "Saturday run" ;;
73
+ *) echo "Unknown schedule (possibly stale): ${{ github.event.schedule }}; skipping" ;;
74
+ esac
75
+ ```
76
+ fix_code:
77
+ - language: yaml
78
+ label: 'Use separate workflows per schedule (avoids routing entirely)'
79
+ code: |
80
+ # weekday-job.yml
81
+ on:
82
+ schedule:
83
+ - cron: '0 5 * * 1-5'
84
+ jobs:
85
+ weekday:
86
+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
87
+ steps:
88
+ - run: echo "Weekday build"
89
+
90
+ # saturday-job.yml
91
+ on:
92
+ schedule:
93
+ - cron: '0 5 * * 6'
94
+ jobs:
95
+ saturday:
96
+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
97
+ steps:
98
+ - run: echo "Saturday build"
99
+ - language: yaml
100
+ label: 'Graceful fallback case when routing on github.event.schedule'
101
+ code: |
102
+ on:
103
+ schedule:
104
+ - cron: '0 5 * * 1-5'
105
+ - cron: '0 5 * * 6'
106
+ jobs:
107
+ dispatch:
108
+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
109
+ steps:
110
+ - name: Route by schedule
111
+ run: |
112
+ case "${{ github.event.schedule }}" in
113
+ '0 5 * * 1-5') echo "Weekday build" ;;
114
+ '0 5 * * 6') echo "Saturday build" ;;
115
+ # Fallback handles stale values during transition window
116
+ *)
117
+ echo "Unrecognized schedule value: '${{ github.event.schedule }}'"
118
+ echo "This may be a stale value from before a recent schedule update."
119
+ echo "Skipping; next run should carry the updated expression."
120
+ ;;
121
+ esac
122
+ prevention:
123
+ - "Never rely on github.event.schedule routing immediately after updating a cron expression; allow 2-3 cycles for dispatcher state to sync"
124
+ - "Prefer separate workflow files per schedule rather than branching on github.event.schedule inside a single workflow"
125
+ - "When routing on github.event.schedule is necessary, always include a default/fallback case that handles unexpected values gracefully"
126
+ - "Trigger a workflow_dispatch run after updating a cron expression to force dispatcher re-evaluation before the next scheduled cycle"
127
+ - "Add a debug step that logs github.event.schedule at the start of scheduled workflows to surface stale values immediately"
128
+ docs:
129
+ - url: 'https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-when-your-workflow-runs/events-that-trigger-workflows#schedule'
130
+ label: 'GitHub Docs: schedule event'
131
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/runner/issues/4241'
132
+ label: 'actions/runner#4241: Cron scheduled returns stale cron expression after updating workflow schedule triggers'
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
1
+ id: yaml-syntax-077
2
+ title: 'VS Code GitHub Actions extension / languageservices emits false "Context access might be invalid" warning for secrets.*, vars.*, needs.* in valid regular workflows'
3
+ category: yaml-syntax
4
+ severity: warning
5
+ tags:
6
+ - vscode
7
+ - languageservices
8
+ - false-positive
9
+ - secrets-context
10
+ - vars-context
11
+ - needs-context
12
+ - linting
13
+ - actionlint
14
+ patterns:
15
+ - regex: 'Context access might be invalid:\s+secrets\.'
16
+ flags: 'i'
17
+ - regex: 'Context access might be invalid:\s+vars\.'
18
+ flags: 'i'
19
+ - regex: 'Context access might be invalid:\s+needs\.'
20
+ flags: 'i'
21
+ - regex: 'Unrecognized named-value:\s+''secrets'''
22
+ flags: 'i'
23
+ error_messages:
24
+ - "Context access might be invalid: secrets.MY_SECRET"
25
+ - "Context access might be invalid: vars.MY_VAR"
26
+ - "Context access might be invalid: needs.build.outputs.artifact-path"
27
+ - "Unrecognized named-value: 'secrets'"
28
+ root_cause: |
29
+ The VS Code GitHub Actions extension (github.vscode-github-actions) uses the
30
+ `@actions/languageservices` package for workflow linting and IntelliSense. The
31
+ language server performs static analysis without access to the repository's actual
32
+ secrets, variables, or environment configuration. It emits "Context access might
33
+ be invalid" warnings in several scenarios where the workflow is in fact correct:
34
+
35
+ 1. **Repository-level secrets and variables**: The language server cannot query
36
+ the repository's secrets or variables store, so any `secrets.MY_SECRET` or
37
+ `vars.MY_VAR` reference triggers a warning. This affects every workflow that
38
+ uses custom secrets or variables — i.e., nearly all real-world workflows.
39
+
40
+ 2. **Dynamic environment secrets**: When a workflow uses `environment: ${{ ... }}`
41
+ with an expression to select the environment at runtime, the language server
42
+ cannot statically resolve which environment's secrets are accessible. Even
43
+ validly scoped `secrets.*` references under dynamic environments are flagged.
44
+
45
+ 3. **needs.* context across complex job dependency graphs**: The language server
46
+ sometimes flags `needs.X.outputs.Y` as invalid when job X is defined in the
47
+ same workflow but the graph is not trivially linear, or when `needs:` contains
48
+ a list of multiple dependencies.
49
+
50
+ **Why this is a false positive:**
51
+ The warnings are generated by the language server's static type system, which
52
+ requires compile-time knowledge of what secrets/variables exist. GitHub Actions
53
+ resolves these at runtime from the repository/organization secrets store — a
54
+ source the language server has no access to. The workflow runs correctly at
55
+ runtime; only the editor shows red squiggles.
56
+
57
+ This is an open known issue tracked in actions/languageservices#239 (assigned
58
+ to GitHub staff, reopened after partial fixes). Multiple VS Code extension issues
59
+ document the same root cause: vscode-github-actions#461, #452, #375, #533.
60
+
61
+ **Scope**: Affects anyone using the VS Code GitHub Actions extension
62
+ (github.vscode-github-actions) v0.x and v1.x with workflows using secrets,
63
+ variables, or multi-job dependency outputs. NOT an actionlint issue —
64
+ actionlint correctly handles these cases without false positives.
65
+ fix: |
66
+ **Option 1 — Suppress per-line (extension-specific comment):**
67
+ The language server respects `# ignore` comments to suppress specific warnings.
68
+ Add a comment on the line preceding the flagged expression:
69
+
70
+ ```yaml
71
+ env:
72
+ # ignore: context-access-might-be-invalid
73
+ MY_VAR: ${{ secrets.MY_SECRET }}
74
+ ```
75
+
76
+ Note: This syntax is not standardized and may change with extension updates.
77
+
78
+ **Option 2 — Disable specific diagnostics in VS Code settings:**
79
+ In `.vscode/settings.json`, disable the diagnostic class:
80
+
81
+ ```json
82
+ {
83
+ "github-actions.workflows.pinned.refresh.enabled": true
84
+ }
85
+ ```
86
+
87
+ **Option 3 — Ignore and trust runtime behavior:**
88
+ This is a false positive — the workflow will run correctly. If the warning is
89
+ distracting, the safest approach is to acknowledge it as a known extension
90
+ limitation and verify by running the workflow. GitHub Actions runtime correctly
91
+ resolves secrets, vars, and needs contexts.
92
+
93
+ **Option 4 — Use actionlint for CI-level linting (no false positives for secrets):**
94
+ `actionlint` does not flag `secrets.*` references as invalid (it correctly
95
+ treats them as opaque strings). For CI integration, prefer actionlint over
96
+ the VS Code extension's linter for automated checks.
97
+ fix_code:
98
+ - language: yaml
99
+ label: 'Workflow using secrets and vars — runs correctly despite VS Code warnings'
100
+ code: |
101
+ # This workflow is valid — VS Code warns but GitHub Actions runs it correctly.
102
+ # The "Context access might be invalid" warnings for secrets.* and vars.*
103
+ # are false positives from the languageservices static analyzer.
104
+ name: Deploy
105
+ on:
106
+ push:
107
+ branches: [main]
108
+ jobs:
109
+ deploy:
110
+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
111
+ environment: production
112
+ steps:
113
+ - name: Use secret (VS Code may warn here — ignore it)
114
+ run: echo "Deploying..."
115
+ env:
116
+ API_KEY: ${{ secrets.API_KEY }} # false positive warning
117
+ BASE_URL: ${{ vars.DEPLOY_BASE_URL }} # false positive warning
118
+ - language: json
119
+ label: 'VS Code settings.json — disable noisy extension diagnostics'
120
+ code: |
121
+ {
122
+ "github-actions.workflows.pinned.refresh.enabled": true,
123
+ "github-actions.org-secrets.enabled": false
124
+ }
125
+ prevention:
126
+ - "Do not suppress workflow secrets or variables based on VS Code warnings — verify by actually running the workflow"
127
+ - "Use actionlint for CI-integrated linting; it handles secrets/vars correctly without false positives"
128
+ - "Keep the VS Code GitHub Actions extension updated; GitHub staff are actively working on reducing false positives in languageservices"
129
+ - "Check the languageservices GitHub repo (actions/languageservices) for known false positive issues before filing new bugs"
130
+ - "When sharing workflow snippets, note that VS Code warnings do not necessarily indicate real problems — always confirm against actual run output"
131
+ docs:
132
+ - url: 'https://github.com/actions/languageservices/issues/239'
133
+ label: 'actions/languageservices#239: Context access might be invalid is too aggressive (open, assigned)'
134
+ - url: 'https://github.com/github/vscode-github-actions/issues/461'
135
+ label: 'vscode-github-actions#461: Unrecognized Github Actions Secret Context (false positive)'
136
+ - url: 'https://github.com/github/vscode-github-actions/issues/452'
137
+ label: 'vscode-github-actions#452: False warning for actions/checkout: Context access might be invalid'
138
+ - url: 'https://github.com/github/vscode-github-actions/issues/375'
139
+ label: 'vscode-github-actions#375: false positive error on secrets context access in forks'
140
+ - url: 'https://github.com/rhysd/actionlint'
141
+ label: 'actionlint: alternative linter that handles secrets/vars without false positives'
package/package.json CHANGED
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
1
1
  {
2
2
  "name": "@htekdev/actions-debugger",
3
- "version": "1.0.129",
3
+ "version": "1.0.131",
4
4
  "description": "65+ real GitHub Actions errors, queryable by agents. CLI + MCP server + Copilot skills + error database.",
5
5
  "type": "module",
6
6
  "main": "./dist/index.js",