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TI-2026-83604 Aliases CVE-2026-118395

Gitea public-only tokens bypass checks to create private resources

Priority LOW 39CWE-284Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Security bypass
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · None · None
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-284.

Summary

Gitea before 28.3.0 lets personal access tokens restricted to public resources (public-only) create private resources, because some API endpoints skip that restriction. This is improper access control (CWE-284). A holder of a public-only token with the needed write scopes can create private repositories in organizations where the token's owner may create repositories, create private organizations, and generate private repositories from templates. The token still cannot read the private repositories it created.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

Description from the CNA

Gitea 1.27.3 stopped personal access tokens restricted to public resources (`public-only`) from creating repositories through `POST /api/v1/user/repos` and `POST /api/v1/repos/migrate`, but `POST /api/v1/org/{org}/repos`, `POST /api/v1/orgs/{org}/repos`, `POST /api/v1/orgs` and `POST /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/generate` still accepted such tokens. A holder of a public-only token with the needed write scopes could create private repositories in organizations where the token's owner may create repositories, create private organizations, and generate private repositories from templates. The token still could not read the private repositories it created.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00277 20th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Gitea (Gitea): 28.3.0

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
Yes
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
GiteaGiteabefore 28.3.028.3.0Patch availableCNA
  • Gitea VendorGitea Affected before 28.3.0 Fixed in 28.3.0 Patch available CNA

CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1

Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:gitea:gitea:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*——Gitea
  • cpe:2.3:a:gitea:gitea:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·Gitea

Remediation

Upgrade Gitea to version 28.3.0, which fixes this flaw.

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
    Show all 20 records →

Timeline

  1. 2026-11-01 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-118395
  2. 2026-11-06 CVSS score added · CISA ADP
  3. 2026-11-06 Weakness changed · CISA ADP
  4. 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed

References

Patch 2

Advisory 1

Other 2

  • 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
See all 240 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences