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[GH-ISSUE #1317] toJSON(github) fails in run: but works in env: #712

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opened 2026-03-01 21:45:44 +03:00 by kerem · 3 comments

kerem commented

2026-03-01 21:45:44 +03:00

Owner

Originally created by @kanaka on GitHub (Aug 25, 2022).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/nektos/act/issues/1317

Bug report info

act version:            0.2.30-5-gb23bbef-dirty
GOOS:                   linux
GOARCH:                 amd64
NumCPU:                 8
Docker host:            DOCKER_HOST environment variable is unset/empty.
Sockets found:
        /var/run/docker.sock
Config files:           
        /home/jmartin/.actrc:
                -P ubuntu-latest=ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest
                -P ubuntu-20.04=ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:act-20.04
                -P ubuntu-18.04=ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:act-18.04
Build info:
        Go version:            go1.18.1
        Module path:           command-line-arguments
        Main version:          
        Main path:             
        Main checksum:         
        Build settings:
                -compiler:            gc
                -ldflags:             -X main.version=0.2.30-5-gb23bbef-dirty
                CGO_ENABLED:          1
                CGO_CFLAGS:           
                CGO_CPPFLAGS:         
                CGO_CXXFLAGS:         
                CGO_LDFLAGS:          
                GOARCH:               amd64
                GOOS:                 linux
                GOAMD64:              v1
Docker Engine:
        Engine version:        20.10.7
        Engine runtime:        runc
        Cgroup version:        1
        Cgroup driver:         cgroupfs
        Storage driver:        overlay2
        Registry URI:          https://index.docker.io/v1/
        OS:                    NixOS 20.09 (Nightingale)
        OS type:               linux
        OS version:            20.09.4407.1c1f5649bb9
        OS arch:               x86_64
        OS kernel:             5.4.122
        OS CPU:                8
        OS memory:             63530 MB
        Security options:
                name=seccomp,profile=default

Command used with act

act -P self-hosted=ubuntu:latest -j basic

Describe issue

The use of ${{ toJSON(github) }} works in an env: section but not in a run: definition. Other contexts (job, steps, runner, etc) work in both places. It seems according to https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/contexts#example-printing-context-information-to-the-log that the github context should work in a run block too.

Link to GitHub repository

No response

Workflow content

name: Push (build and local tests)

on:
  push: {}

jobs:
  basic:
    runs-on: [ self-hosted ]
    steps:
      - name: Store context in variable
        env:
          GITHUB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJSON(github) }}
        run: |
          echo "Full github context: ${GITHUB_CONTEXT}"

      - name: Show github context directly
        run: | 
          echo "github.actor: ${{ github.actor }}"
          echo "Full github context: ${{ toJSON(github) }})"

Relevant log output

| github.actor: nektos/act
| /var/run/act/workflow/1: line 10: syntax error near unexpected token `('

Additional information

No response

Originally created by @kanaka on GitHub (Aug 25, 2022). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/nektos/act/issues/1317 ### Bug report info ```plain text act version: 0.2.30-5-gb23bbef-dirty GOOS: linux GOARCH: amd64 NumCPU: 8 Docker host: DOCKER_HOST environment variable is unset/empty. Sockets found: /var/run/docker.sock Config files: /home/jmartin/.actrc: -P ubuntu-latest=ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest -P ubuntu-20.04=ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:act-20.04 -P ubuntu-18.04=ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:act-18.04 Build info: Go version: go1.18.1 Module path: command-line-arguments Main version: Main path: Main checksum: Build settings: -compiler: gc -ldflags: -X main.version=0.2.30-5-gb23bbef-dirty CGO_ENABLED: 1 CGO_CFLAGS: CGO_CPPFLAGS: CGO_CXXFLAGS: CGO_LDFLAGS: GOARCH: amd64 GOOS: linux GOAMD64: v1 Docker Engine: Engine version: 20.10.7 Engine runtime: runc Cgroup version: 1 Cgroup driver: cgroupfs Storage driver: overlay2 Registry URI: https://index.docker.io/v1/ OS: NixOS 20.09 (Nightingale) OS type: linux OS version: 20.09.4407.1c1f5649bb9 OS arch: x86_64 OS kernel: 5.4.122 OS CPU: 8 OS memory: 63530 MB Security options: name=seccomp,profile=default ``` ### Command used with act ```sh act -P self-hosted=ubuntu:latest -j basic ``` ### Describe issue The use of `${{ toJSON(github) }}` works in an `env:` section but not in a `run:` definition. Other contexts (job, steps, runner, etc) work in both places. It seems according to https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/contexts#example-printing-context-information-to-the-log that the github context should work in a `run` block too. ### Link to GitHub repository _No response_ ### Workflow content ```yml name: Push (build and local tests) on: push: {} jobs: basic: runs-on: [ self-hosted ] steps: - name: Store context in variable env: GITHUB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJSON(github) }} run: | echo "Full github context: ${GITHUB_CONTEXT}" - name: Show github context directly run: | echo "github.actor: ${{ github.actor }}" echo "Full github context: ${{ toJSON(github) }})" ``` ### Relevant log output ```sh | github.actor: nektos/act | /var/run/act/workflow/1: line 10: syntax error near unexpected token `(' ``` ### Additional information _No response_

kerem

2026-03-01 21:45:44 +03:00

closed this issue
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kind/discussion
label

kerem commented

2026-03-01 21:45:45 +03:00

Author

Owner

@ChristopherHX commented on GitHub (Aug 25, 2022):

I removed the bug label, because this works as designed like actions/runner.

Both json and and your echo statement use " quotes, this allows script injection and causes a bash syntax error.

If you use single quotes, you can echo more json objects unless they contain ' quotes. All json objects contains " quotes.

     - name: Show github context directly
        run: | 
          echo 'github.actor: ${{ github.actor }}'
          echo 'Full github context: ${{ toJSON(github) }})'

@ChristopherHX commented on GitHub (Aug 25, 2022): I removed the bug label, because this works as designed like actions/runner. Both json and and your echo statement use `"` quotes, this allows script injection and causes a bash syntax error. If you use single quotes, you can echo more json objects unless they contain `'` quotes. All json objects contains `"` quotes. ```yaml - name: Show github context directly run: | echo 'github.actor: ${{ github.actor }}' echo 'Full github context: ${{ toJSON(github) }})' ```

kerem commented

2026-03-01 21:45:46 +03:00

Author

Owner

@kanaka commented on GitHub (Aug 25, 2022):

Interesting, this must have been changed in github enterprise 3.6. Thanks for following up.

@kanaka commented on GitHub (Aug 25, 2022): Interesting, this must have been changed in github enterprise 3.6. Thanks for following up.

kerem commented

2026-03-01 21:45:46 +03:00

Author

Owner

@ChristopherHX commented on GitHub (Aug 26, 2022):

this must have been changed in github enterprise 3.6

No, nothing changed in this area since 2019 depending on the content of the github event it partially works.

I guess this modified workflow works, but the " are gone.

name: Push build and local tests

on:
  push: {}

jobs:
  basic:
    runs-on: [ self-hosted ]
    steps:
      - name: Store context in variable
        env:
          GITHUB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJSON(github) }}
        run: |
          echo "Full github context: ${GITHUB_CONTEXT}"

      - name: Show github context directly
        run: | 
          echo "github.actor: ${{ github.actor }}"
          echo "Full github context: ${{ toJSON(github) }})"

In azure devops some people come to the conclusion converttojson outputs invalid json, due to script injection and missing quotes.

@ChristopherHX commented on GitHub (Aug 26, 2022): > this must have been changed in github enterprise 3.6 No, nothing changed in this area since 2019 depending on the content of the github event it partially works. I guess this modified workflow works, but the `"` are gone. ```yaml name: Push build and local tests on: push: {} jobs: basic: runs-on: [ self-hosted ] steps: - name: Store context in variable env: GITHUB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJSON(github) }} run: | echo "Full github context: ${GITHUB_CONTEXT}" - name: Show github context directly run: | echo "github.actor: ${{ github.actor }}" echo "Full github context: ${{ toJSON(github) }})" ``` In azure devops some people come to the conclusion converttojson outputs invalid json, due to script injection and missing quotes.

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2026-03-01 21:51:45 +03:00

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