CVE-2026-20888: Github.com/go gitea/gitea Gitea Does Not Properly Verify Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9cgq-wp42-4rpq
Share
CWE-284
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-20888 is a MODERATE gitea does not properly verify vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Github.com/go gitea/gitea libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves gitea does not properly verify authorization when canceling scheduled auto-merges via the web interface. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.25.4.

CVE-2026-20888 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-20888
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9cgq-wp42-4rpq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product Github.com/go gitea/gitea
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-20888

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/go gitea/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.

github.com/go-gitea/gitea fixed: 1.25.4 
Upgrade github.com/go-gitea/gitea to 1.25.4
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 github.com/go-gitea/gitea

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-20888, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/go gitea/gitea:

inspect dependencies for github.com/go-gitea/gitea

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/go gitea/gitea in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.25.4), 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-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. In Github.com/go gitea/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 does not properly verify authorization when canceling scheduled auto-merges via the web interface. A user with read access to pull requests may be able to cancel auto-merges scheduled by other users.

CVE-2026-20888 Affected Github.com/go gitea/gitea Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.25.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/go-gitea/gitea
golang/github.com/go-gitea/gitea
Go
< 1.25.4
1.25.4

References

NVD — CVE-2026-20888 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20888
Github.com/go gitea/gitea Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/36341
Github.com/go gitea/gitea Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/36356
blog.gitea.com/release-of-1.25.4 WEB
https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-1.25.4
Github.com/go gitea/gitea Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea
Github.com/go gitea/gitea Release RELEASE
https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/tag/v1.25.4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-20888?
CVE-2026-20888 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/go gitea/gitea involving Gitea does not properly verify authorization when canceling scheduled auto-merges via the web interface under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Github.com/go gitea/gitea versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.25.4 across affected packages: github.com/go-gitea/gitea.
What version fixes CVE-2026-20888?
Upgrading to 1.25.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/go-gitea/gitea affected?
Yes, github.com/go-gitea/gitea is affected in releases prior to 1.25.4. Upgrade your dependency to 1.25.4 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-20888?
CVE-2026-20888 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-20888?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/go-gitea/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-9cgq-wp42-4rpq",
  "modified" : "2026-01-23T20:14:41Z",
  "published" : "2026-01-23T00:31:16Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-20888" ],
  "summary" : "Gitea does not properly verify authorization when canceling scheduled auto-merges via the web interface",
  "details" : "Gitea does not properly verify authorization when canceling scheduled auto-merges via the web interface. A user with read access to pull requests may be able to cancel auto-merges scheduled by other users.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/go-gitea/gitea"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.25.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20888"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/36341"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/36356"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-1.25.4"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/tag/v1.25.4"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-01-23T20:14:41Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-01-22T22:16:17Z"
  }
}