Gitea issue changes on archived repositories through the API
Gitea 28.2.0 and earlier let users with write access change issues on archived repositories through the API, bypassing the web UI freeze. Fixed in 28.3.0.
Written by anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 from the sources below. Verify against them.
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- Published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Not listed in CISA KEV
- A 0-100 score for how much a CVE matters across the industry: exploitation, exposure, how widely the software is used, severity and whether a fix exists.What do these mean? →
- 8/100 · provisional
- How many real-world setups can hit the bug, from the vendor's advisory and CISA data. It does not know your setup.What do these mean? →
- Specific setups only
- Fix
- Fixed in 28.3.0
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
Summary
Gitea, a self-hosted Git service, is affected when its REST API is used to modify issues in archived repositories. A user with issue-editing permission could change issue content, labels, deadlines, time tracking, reactions, blocks, and pins, even though archiving is supposed to make the repository read-only.
Read the original description
The web interface blocks issue and pull request changes on archived repositories, but several issue routes of the REST API did not check whether the repository is archived. A user allowed to change issues of an archived repository could use the API to edit, close or delete issues, change labels and deadlines, add or delete tracked time and stopwatches, add reactions, change issue blocks, and pin issues, altering data that archiving is meant to freeze. Gitea 28.2.0 added the check to the issue edit, delete and label routes; Gitea 28.3.0 applies it to all modifying repository API requests.
What to do
Check whether your setup matches what the bug needs.
Gitea 28.2.0 or earlier is affected (the API issue routes lacked the archived-repository check). The repository is archived.Upgrade to a fixed version: 28.3.0.
Timeline
- CVE published
- First seen by cve.now
Affected versions
- gitea.dev
fixed in 28.3.0
Evidence 7
- Advisory
- Patch
- Patch
- Patch
- Patch
- Repository
- Link
Corrections
None so far.
Something wrong on this page? Report an error. Every fix is listed here.
Questions about CVE-2026-118504
What does this mean?
The web UI blocks changes to issues and pull requests in archived repositories, but the API routes for issues lacked that check. A user with write access could edit, close, delete, label, pin, or otherwise change issues, deadlines, tracked times, stopwatches, reactions and blocks on an archived repository through the API.Source: github.com
Am I affected, and how do I check?
Gitea versions 28.2.0 and earlier are affected, and the issue only matters for repositories that are archived. To check a version, run gitea --version on the server or look at the version shown in the Gitea footer or admin dashboard.Source: github.com
What should I do about it?
Upgrade Gitea to 28.3.0 or later, which adds the archived-repository check to the affected API routes.Source: github.com
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: cve.now feed data