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How the mentioned vulnerability works:
Gitea is an open-source git service supporting multiple organizations. Each organization contains projects with access controls. During project operations like modifying issues or settings, Gitea validates user permissions. However, a flaw exists in the authorization logic for cross-organization requests. When a user with write access to projects in one organization makes an API call, the system checks only for general write access. It fails to verify if the project belongs to the same organization as the user’s permissions. This occurs because the validation step comparing organization context is missing. The vulnerability affects API endpoints handling project modifications. For example, a request to update a project uses project ID without confirming organization ownership. A malicious user can craft requests targeting projects in other organizations. By using valid credentials from one organization, they can bypass checks and modify foreign projects. This leverages improper session or token handling across organization boundaries. The issue is in the code mapping user permissions to project resources. Specifically, functions that retrieve project details do not enforce organization membership. This allows privilege escalation from write access in one org to unauthorized access in another. The vulnerability is moderate as it requires existing write access but can lead to cross-organization data manipulation.
Platform: Gitea
Version: Unspecified versions
Vulnerability: Improper ownership validation
Severity: Moderate
Date: 2026-01-23
Prediction: Patch expected soon
What Undercode Say:
Analytics:
Check Gitea version
gitea –version
List user organizations
curl -X GET https://gitea.example.com/api/v1/user/orgs -H “Authorization: token
Attempt project modification
curl -X PATCH https://gitea.example.com/api/v1/orgs/other_org/projects/1 -H “Authorization: token
Verify access logs
tail -f /var/log/gitea/gitea.log
How Exploit:
User with write access in Organization A obtains project ID from Organization B via enumeration or information leakage. Using authenticated API requests, the user sends modification calls to Organization B’s project endpoints. By exploiting the missing ownership check, the request is processed, allowing unauthorized changes like renaming projects or altering issues.
Protection from this CVE:
Update to patched version. Implement network segmentation. Enforce strict access controls. Review audit logs regularly. Use authentication middleware validation.
Impact:
Unauthorized cross-organization project modifications. Data integrity compromise. Potential reputation damage. Workflow disruption. Information leakage risk.
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Sources:
Reported By: github.com
Extra Source Hub:
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