CVE-2021-28378: Code.gitea.io/gitea Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g95p-88p4-76cm
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CVSS 5.4
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-28378 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.4) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Code.gitea.io/gitea libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves cross-site scripting in gitea. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.13.4.

CVE-2021-28378 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-28378
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g95p-88p4-76cm
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.4
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Code.gitea.io/gitea
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.4

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-28378

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Code.gitea.io/gitea dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

code.gitea.io/gitea fixed: 1.13.4 
Upgrade code.gitea.io/gitea to 1.13.4
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for code.gitea.io/gitea

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-28378, inspect your project dependencies for Code.gitea.io/gitea:

inspect dependencies for code.gitea.io/gitea

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Code.gitea.io/gitea in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.13.4), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), where the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. In Code.gitea.io/gitea, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Gitea 1.12.x and 1.13.x before 1.13.4 allows XSS via certain issue data in some situations.

CVE-2021-28378 Affected Code.gitea.io/gitea Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.13.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
code.gitea.io/gitea
golang/code.gitea.io/gitea
Go
< 1.13.4
1.13.4

References

NVD — CVE-2021-28378 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-28378
Code.gitea.io/gitea Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/14898
Code.gitea.io/gitea Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/14899
blog.gitea.io/2021/03/gitea-1.13.... WEB
https://blog.gitea.io/2021/03/gitea-1.13.4-is-released
Code.gitea.io/gitea Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/PandatiX/CVE-2021-28378
Code.gitea.io/gitea Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-28378?
CVE-2021-28378 is a security vulnerability in Code.gitea.io/gitea involving Cross-site Scripting in Gitea under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Code.gitea.io/gitea versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.13.4 across affected packages: code.gitea.io/gitea.
What version fixes CVE-2021-28378?
Upgrading to 1.13.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is code.gitea.io/gitea affected?
Yes, code.gitea.io/gitea is affected in releases prior to 1.13.4. Upgrade your dependency to 1.13.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-28378?
CVE-2021-28378 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-28378?
CVE-2021-28378 is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2021-28378?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for code.gitea.io/gitea'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-g95p-88p4-76cm",
  "modified" : "2021-09-27T19:23:33Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-27T20:17:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-28378" ],
  "summary" : "Cross-site Scripting in Gitea",
  "details" : "Gitea 1.12.x and 1.13.x before 1.13.4 allows XSS via certain issue data in some situations.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "code.gitea.io/gitea"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.13.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-28378"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/14898"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/14899"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://blog.gitea.io/2021/03/gitea-1.13.4-is-released"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/PandatiX/CVE-2021-28378"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-09-27T19:23:33Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-03-15T06:15:00Z"
  }
}