CVE-2026-109844 Gitea CVE debrief

Who should care

Gitea administrators and users with repository access changes should assess exposure and apply patches. This includes reviewing repository access controls, monitoring for suspicious activity, and applying patches to prevent exploitation. Gitea instance owners should verify the exposure of their instances and users with repository access changes.

Why it matters

Defenders should prioritize verifying exposure for Gitea instances and users with repository access changes to prevent unauthorized repository metadata disclosure.

• Verify repository access controls to prevent unauthorized metadata disclosure
• Apply patches to prevent exploitation

Technical summary

The Gitea watched repositories API endpoint returned repository metadata to users who had previously lost access. The issue was fixed in Gitea versions 1.27.0 and 28.0.0. This vulnerability could allow unauthorized disclosure of repository metadata, including names, descriptions, clone URLs, owners, and counters. The vulnerability was related to the `GET /api/v1/user/subscriptions` endpoint, which did not properly check user access before returning repository metadata. The issue was reported and fixed in Gitea versions 1.27.0 and 28.0.0.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize verifying exposure for Gitea instances and users with repository access changes.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify Gitea instance and user repository access controls
• Check for and apply patches to Gitea versions prior to 1.27.0 and 28.0.0
• Monitor Gitea instance logs for suspicious API activity
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up
• Plan vendor-supported updates or mitigations through normal change control where exposure is confirmed

Evidence notes

The CVE record and source item provide details on the Gitea API endpoint vulnerability. The NVD entry is currently being processed. The issue was reported and fixed in Gitea versions 1.27.0 and 28.0.0. The CVE record was published on 2026-10-18T18:57:08.476Z and has not been modified since then. The vulnerability affects users who had previously lost access to a private repository.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.