Add hooks to run shell snippets around git operations (#411)

* feat: add _run_hook helper and eight hook inputs

* fix(_run_hook): default snippet to empty when arg unset

* feat: wire add/commit hooks into _main

* feat: wire tag and push hooks into _main

* test: verify failing hook aborts the action

* docs: document hooks system in README

* test: tighten failing-hook assertion

* docs(hooks): note set -eu semantics for snippet authors

* refactor(hooks): rename action inputs to suffix with _hook

* refactor(hooks): include _hook suffix in event identifier

* docs(hooks): add notes about security implications of hooks
This commit is contained in:
Stefan Zweifel
2026-06-28 10:52:27 +02:00
committed by GitHub
parent c365a749b4
commit 9f6c933320
4 changed files with 360 additions and 2 deletions
+96
View File
@@ -141,6 +141,19 @@ The following is an extended example with all available options.
# `pull_request_target` event. See the "Workflow should run in **base** repository"
# section below for context before disabling this warning.
disable_pull_request_target_trigger_warning: false
# Optional. Shell snippets to run around each git operation. Each hook
# is evaluated in the same bash process as the action — `set -eu` is
# in effect, the working directory is your repository, and all
# `INPUT_*` env vars are visible. A non-zero exit aborts the action.
before_add_hook: 'git fetch --unshallow'
after_add_hook: ''
before_commit_hook: ''
after_commit_hook: ''
before_tag_hook: ''
after_tag_hook: ''
before_push_hook: ''
after_push_hook: ''
```
Please note that the Action depends on `bash`. If you're using the Action in a job in combination with a custom Docker container, make sure that `bash` is installed.
@@ -215,6 +228,87 @@ You can use these outputs to trigger other Actions in your Workflow run based on
run: echo "No Changes!"
```
## Hooks
git-auto-commit can run custom shell snippets around each git operation
it performs. This is useful when you need to prepare or clean up the
repository as part of the same step — for example, unshallowing a
shallow clone right before the commit is staged.
Eight optional hooks are available:
| Hook | Runs |
| ---- | ---- |
| `before_add_hook` / `after_add_hook` | around `git add` |
| `before_commit_hook` / `after_commit_hook` | around `git commit` |
| `before_tag_hook` / `after_tag_hook` | around `git tag` (only when a tag is being created) |
| `before_push_hook` / `after_push_hook` | around `git push` (skipped when `skip_push: true`) |
Each hook is an inline shell snippet that runs in the same bash process
as the action. The working directory is your repository, and all
`INPUT_*` environment variables and standard GitHub Actions env vars are
visible to the snippet.
### Example
```yaml
- uses: stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action@v7
with:
before_add_hook: |
git fetch --unshallow
```
Multi-line snippets work via YAML's `|` block scalar:
```yaml
- uses: stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action@v7
with:
before_commit_hook: |
echo "About to commit at $(date)"
./scripts/prepare-commit.sh
```
### Notes
- A hook only runs when its underlying step actually runs. For example,
`before_add_hook`/`after_add_hook` are skipped when the working tree is clean,
and `before_push_hook`/`after_push_hook` are skipped when `skip_push: true`.
- If a hook exits with a non-zero status, the action fails. Append
`|| true` to a snippet to ignore its failure.
- Hooks share environment with the action, so they can read action
inputs (e.g. `$INPUT_COMMIT_MESSAGE`) and write to `$GITHUB_OUTPUT`.
- Snippets run under `set -eu`. Referencing an unset variable aborts the
action; use `${VAR:-}` to default an optional variable to empty.
### Security
Hook snippets are evaluated as shell code in the same process as the
action. Treat them as you would any `run:` step.
> [!CAUTION]
> **Do not combine hooks with the `pull_request_target` event when the
> snippet references attacker-controlled GitHub context.** Fields like
> `${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}`, `${{ github.event.pull_request.body }}`,
> `${{ github.head_ref }}`, and commit messages from a fork are
> interpolated into the snippet **before** bash sees it. A malicious PR
> can inject shell commands that run on your runner with access to your
> repository secrets. See the [`pull_request_target` section](#workflow-should-run-in-base-repository)
> for the broader risk and [GitHub's script-injection guidance](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/security-guides/security-hardening-for-github-actions#understanding-the-risk-of-script-injections).
If you need values from PR-controlled context inside a hook, pass them
via an intermediate env var rather than interpolating them directly into
the snippet:
```yaml
- uses: stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action@v7
env:
PR_TITLE: ${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}
with:
before_commit_hook: |
# $PR_TITLE is read as data, not evaluated as code
echo "PR: $PR_TITLE"
```
## Limitations & Gotchas
The goal of this Action is to be "the Action for committing files for the 80% use case". Therefore, you might run into issues if your Workflow falls into the not supported 20% portion.
@@ -368,6 +462,8 @@ However, there are a couple of ways to use this Action in Workflows that should
>
> To remind users of this risk, git-auto-commit emits a warning annotation whenever it detects it is running on a `pull_request_target` event.
> If you have evaluated the risk and want to silence the warning, set the `disable_pull_request_target_trigger_warning` input to `true`.
>
> **Extra caution if you also use [hooks](#hooks):** hook snippets are evaluated as shell code. Interpolating attacker-controlled fields (PR title/body, branch name, fork commit messages, etc.) directly into a hook input on a `pull_request_target` workflow lets a malicious PR run arbitrary commands on your runner with access to your secrets. Pass such values through an `env:` block and reference them as `$VARS` inside the snippet — see the [Security note in the Hooks section](#security) for an example.
The workflow below runs whenever a commit is pushed to the `main`-branch or when activity on a pull request happens, by listening to the [`pull_request_target`](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/events-that-trigger-workflows#pull_request_target) event.