Gitea: Git Smart HTTP Skips Repository Token Scopes for Bearer Tokens

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-2026-28744: 0.43% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 37.08 (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 Gitea v1.26.1 enforces repository-scoped access-token permissions on repository operations. In the Git Smart HTTP path, however, this check runs only when the token is presented via HTTP Basic authentication — CheckRepoScopedToken() returns early unless ctx.IsBasicAuth is true — so the same token sent as Authorization: Bearer <token bypasses the scope check entirely. As a result, a PAT or OAuth2 token presented as a Bearer credential can clone or fetch private repositories without the read:repository scope, and likewise reach the Git push without write:repository. Details Git Smart HTTP routes allow both Basic auth and OAuth2/Bearer auth: The Git HTTP authorization path calls CheckRepoScopedToken() before falling through to normal repository RBAC: However, CheckRepoScopedToken() only enforces token scopes for Basic-authenticated requests: The Bearer/OAuth2 auth path still records the token scope: Bearer PATs also set IsApiToken=true and ApiTokenScope, but ctx.IsBasicAuth…

Published by the source

16 Jun 2026, 23:38 UTC

Last modified by the source

22 Oct 2026, 12:51 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:32 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-cc8w-r4qh-3v65

2. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-cc8w-r4qh-3v65

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-28744

Advisory: Gitea: Git Smart HTTP Skips Repository Token Scopes for Bearer Tokens
IDs: CVE-2026-28744, GHSA-cc8w-r4qh-3v65
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-28744 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:32 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 <= 1.26.1; 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-cc8w-r4qh-3v65 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-cc8w-r4qh-3v65 lists affected ranges: Go code.gitea.io/gitea >=0 <=1.26.1)

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