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The vulnerability in Gitea before version 1.21.2 stems from an access control bypass in the authentication middleware for private user projects. When a project is marked as private, the system should enforce strict authorization checks to ensure only the owner and authorized collaborators can access it via HTTP endpoints. However, due to a flaw in the request handling logic, specifically in the routing or session validation code, anonymous unauthenticated users can bypass these checks. This occurs because the authentication middleware fails to properly verify user identity for certain API or web routes, allowing direct access to private project URLs without requiring login credentials. The bug likely involves incorrect conditional statements in permission validation functions, where the system misinterprets null or empty user sessions as having limited access rights. Attackers can exploit this by crafting HTTP requests to known private project endpoints, such as /user/private-repo, leading to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data like source code, issues, and pull requests. The issue is mitigated in Gitea 1.21.2 by reinforcing authentication checks across all private project routes, ensuring that anonymous users are consistently redirected to login pages or denied access.
Platform: Gitea
Version: before 1.21.2
Vulnerability: Unauthorized private access
Severity: Moderate
date: Dec 26 2025
Prediction: Patch released Dec 26 2025
What Undercode Say:
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!/bin/bash
Check Gitea version for vulnerability
curl -s http://localhost:3000/api/version | grep -o ‘”version”:”[^”]”‘
Test anonymous access to private repo
curl -I http://localhost:3000/user/private-repo 2>/dev/null | head -n 1
Scan for vulnerable instances
nmap -p 3000 –script gitea-version
How Exploit:
Attackers directly access private project URLs without authentication, using guessed or leaked repository paths. For example, navigating to http://gitea-host/user/private-repo in a web browser or via curl commands to retrieve sensitive data.
Protection from this CVE
Upgrade to Gitea 1.21.2 or later, ensuring authentication middleware is properly configured. Implement network controls to restrict access to Gitea instances and regularly audit private project permissions.
Impact:
Unauthorized disclosure of private repository contents, including source code and project metadata, potentially leading to intellectual property theft or further attacks.
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Sources:
Reported By: github.com
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