Glossary
Self-hosted runner
A machine you operate that runs GitHub Actions jobs. It is not reset between jobs unless ephemeral, and it often sits inside your network.
A self-hosted runner is a machine (VM, container, Kubernetes pod or physical host) running GitHub's runner application to execute Actions jobs for a repository, an organization or an enterprise. Unlike GitHub-hosted runners, it is not guaranteed to be clean between jobs unless it is registered as ephemeral or just-in-time.
A rogue runner registered by an attacker receives jobs and their secrets, and a compromised persistent runner gives a foothold inside your network. Registrations appear in the audit log as org.register_self_hosted_runner or repo.register_self_hosted_runner. See self-hosted runner security.