CVE-2025-68944
📋 TL;DR
Gitea versions before 1.22.2 have a token scope propagation flaw in package registries that could allow authenticated users to access resources beyond their intended permissions. This affects all Gitea instances using package registries with the vulnerable versions. The vulnerability requires an authenticated user account to exploit.
💻 Affected Systems
- Gitea
📦 What is this software?
Gitea by Gitea
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An authenticated attacker could access private packages, repositories, or other resources they shouldn't have permission to view or modify, potentially leading to data exposure or unauthorized modifications.
Likely Case
Authenticated users accidentally or intentionally gaining access to package registry resources they shouldn't have permissions for, leading to information disclosure.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact is limited to minor permission boundary violations that can be detected and contained.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires an authenticated user account and understanding of Gitea's package registry system. No public exploit code has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.22.2
Vendor Advisory: https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-1.22.2/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup your Gitea instance and database. 2. Download Gitea 1.22.2 or later from official releases. 3. Stop the Gitea service. 4. Replace the Gitea binary with the new version. 5. Restart the Gitea service. 6. Verify the version is updated.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Package Registries
allTemporarily disable Gitea package registries to prevent exploitation while planning upgrade
Edit app.ini configuration: [packages] ENABLED = false
Restart Gitea service
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitor package registry usage logs for suspicious activity
- Restrict package registry access to only trusted users and implement additional authentication layers
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Gitea version via web interface Admin Panel or run: ./gitea --versionCheck Version:
./gitea --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 1.22.2 or later and test package registry permissions with different user accounts📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to package registry endpoints
- Users accessing packages outside their normal scope patterns
Network Indicators:
- Unusual API calls to /api/packages endpoints from users without appropriate permissions
SIEM Query:
source="gitea.log" AND ("package" OR "registry") AND ("permission denied" OR "unauthorized")