vulnerability / NVI-00018579 / Revision 1
Gitea: OAuth2 access token scope enforcement bypass via HTTP Basic authentication
GitHub lists this reviewed advisory for code.gitea.io/gitea. Published version ranges and source prerequisites are shown below; this is not an inspection of a visitor’s application.
This report has not inspected your inventory, configuration, deployed build, reachability or evidence. A catalog listing and a severity score do not establish exposure or compromise.
01 / Meaning
Why it matters
Published affected context helps an owner decide what evidence to gather. This report has not examined your application.
8.1 high
GitHub source severity; exploitability and local consequence require separate evidence.
As of · GitHub Advisory Database
02 / Applicability
The affected context
Affected versions, configuration prerequisites and known exclusions are public. Confirm each one against the deployed service.
code.gitea.io/gitea
source listed<= 1.26.1
### Summary Gitea fails to enforce OAuth2 access token scopes when the token is submitted via HTTP Basic authentication instead of a Bearer token. An OAuth2 application granted only `read:user` can use the same token as `Authorization: Basic base64(:x-oauth-basic)` and perform write actions, including modifying profiles, adding email addresses, creating repositories, and deleting repositories as the authorizing user. ### Details **Root cause:** `services/auth/basic.go` accepts OAuth2 access tokens through the Basic auth path but does not store the token scope in the request context: ```go // services/auth/basic.go if uid != 0 { store.GetData()["LoginMethod"] = OAuth2TokenMethodName store.GetData()["IsApiToken"] = true // scope is NOT set return u, nil } ``` The scope enforcement middleware in `routers/api/v1/api.go` exits early when `ApiTokenScope` is absent: ```go // routers/api/v1/api.go — tokenRequiresScopes scope, scopeExists := ctx.Data["ApiTokenScope"].(auth_model.AccessTokenScope) if ctx.Data["IsApiToken"] != true || !scopeExists { return //<- exits without checking scope, all actions permitted } ``` When a token arrives via Bearer, `ApiToke
03 / Response
What to do next
- investigate
Identify the exact component and deployed version, examine the linked publisher’s conditions, and retain evidence of any mitigation.
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04 / Limits
What this report cannot establish
- Customer inventory, deployment, reachability and exploitation have not been inspected.
05 / Provenance
Sources you can inspect
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- GHSA-9r5x-wg6m-x2rc ↗
GitHub Advisory Database · vendor advisory
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Public revision history
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- Revision 1 ·
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