Gitea Helm chart uploads allow decompression denial of service
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-400.
Summary
Gitea before 28.3.0 decompresses uploaded Helm charts without limiting the decompressed size, and checks the package size quota only against the compressed upload size (CWE-409). A user with package write access, such as an owner on an instance with open registration, can upload small, highly compressed archives that consume server CPU time. This degrades the availability of the Gitea instance but does not allow code execution or data access.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-01
Description from the CNA
When parsing an uploaded Helm chart, Gitea decompressed the archive and read every tar entry while looking for `Chart.yaml` without limiting the decompressed size, and did so before the package size quota was checked; the quota only considers the compressed upload size. A user with package write access to an owner, for example their own account on an instance with open registration, could repeatedly upload small, highly compressed archives that make the server spend CPU time proportional to the decompressed size, degrading the availability of the Gitea instance. The issue does not allow code execution or data access.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
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 version 28.3.0, which contains the fix.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-01
- 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-2026-117677
- 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