Gitea: Public-only tokens bypass private-resource restrictions on /api/v1/user self routes

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

8.1 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2026-24791: 0.45% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 38.98 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary Many authenticated self routes under /api/v1/user/... do not enforce the public-only token restriction. As a result, a token or OAuth grant marked public-only, but otherwise carrying the route-required read/write scope category, can access or modify private account resources through self routes. The canonical private-user endpoint correctly rejects the same tokens, for example GET /api/v1/users/{privateUser} returns 403. The bypass exists because the generic /api/v1/user route group requires user scope and reqToken(), but does not enforce the token's public-only restriction for most self routes. This is a systemic token/OAuth scope-boundary bypass, not a single endpoint bug. This appears related to the previously fixed public-only token issue tracked as CVE-2025-68941 / GHSA-xfq3-qj7j-4565, which affected Gitea < 1.22.3. The behavior described here reproduces on tested main checkout 6a2706626904. A representative SSH-key self-route PoC also reproduces on tested releases…

Published by the source

17 Jun 2026, 18:09 UTC

Last modified by the source

17 Jun 2026, 18:09 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:24 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-wrr5-99h5-gq57

Preview the exact text before you copy it. Commands are read-only suggestions; review them before running anything.

# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-24791

Advisory: Gitea: Public-only tokens bypass private-resource restrictions on `/api/v1/user` self routes
IDs: CVE-2026-24791, GHSA-wrr5-99h5-gq57
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-24791 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:24 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 8.1)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: code.gitea.io/gitea 1.26.2. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go code.gitea.io/gitea: affected >= 1.22.3, <= 1.26.1; fixed in 1.26.2

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go code.gitea.io/gitea: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on code.gitea.io/gitea.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-wrr5-99h5-gq57 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-wrr5-99h5-gq57 lists affected ranges: Go code.gitea.io/gitea >=1.22.3 <=1.26.1)

Commands are suggestions: review each one before running it.