Gitea Actions task tokens expose private repository metadata
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Information disclosure, Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-200 and CWE-862.
Summary
Gitea before 28.3.0 lets Gitea Actions task tokens, which authenticate as a shared system user, list repositories across the instance. A user who can run a workflow can use the job's token with the user repositories API route to see private repositories of other users and organizations, including their metadata. Repository contents stay protected by per-repository permission checks.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
Gitea Actions task tokens authenticate to the REST API as a shared system user with a negative ID, which repository, organization, project and key filters treated as having no owner restriction, and the token carried no API scope to restrict user-scoped routes. A user who can run a workflow could use the job's token with `GET /api/v1/user/repos` to list every repository on the instance, including private repositories of other users and organizations, with their metadata. Repository contents remained protected by per-repository permission checks. System users now own nothing, and `/api/v1/user` routes other than `GET /api/v1/user` accept only individual and bot accounts.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade Gitea to 28.3.0, which contains the fix.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Gitea (Gitea) Fixed in 28.3.0
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Gitea 28.3.0
20 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 3 MEDIUM, 17 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-83610 Gitea OAuth2 auto-linking lets attackers take over accountsPriority MEDIUM 49
- TI-2026-83601 Gitea public-only token can expose private OCI blobs through package mountsPriority MEDIUM 47
- TI-2026-83594 Gitea public-only token bypass exposes private repository jobsPriority MEDIUM 47
Timeline
- 2026-11-01 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-112887
- 2026-11-06 CVSS score added · CISA ADP
- 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
More Gitea vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-42785 Gitea before 1.27.1 allows remote code execution via the diffpatch API through Git hook installation. KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-42033 Improper authorization on OAuth sign-in callback silently re-enables administrator-disabled accounts CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-40842 Privilege Escalation via Access Token Scope Escalation in API CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-16922 Gitea Docker image trusts spoofable reverse-proxy headers by default CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-42043 Team-repository linking endpoint bypasses the RepoAdminChangeTeamAccess organization setting CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-40381 OIDC userinfo Endpoint Returns Identity Claims Without Enforcing API Token Scopes CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences