# CVE-2026-20750: Gitea improper access control in organization project operations

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20750-gitea-improper-access-control-in-organization-project-operations  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-01-22. Updated: 2026-06-27  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-20750 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.1 · Published 2026-01-22

Gitea, a popular self-hosted Git service, was found to have a security flaw in how it handles organization projects. An authorized user with write access to projects in one organization could potentially modify or interfere with projects belonging to an entirely different organization. This could lead to unauthorized data modification or disruption of development workflows across different teams or clients hosted on the same server.

Technologies: [Gitea](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/gitea), [code.gitea.io/gitea (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/code-gitea-io-gitea), [github.com/go-gitea/gitea (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-go-gitea-gitea). Vendors: [Gitea](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/gitea), [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-20750 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-20750 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-20750?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.1, published 22 January 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Gitea < 1.25.4; code.gitea.io/gitea (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.25.4; github.com/go-gitea/gitea (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.25.4.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-20750?** Yes. code.gitea.io/gitea (Go): upgrade to 1.25.4 or later; github.com/go-gitea/gitea (Go): upgrade to 1.25.4 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-20750 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-20750?** Check whether you run Gitea, code.gitea.io/gitea (Go) or github.com/go-gitea/gitea (Go) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- code.gitea.io/gitea (Go): upgrade to 1.25.4 or later

  ```sh
  go get code.gitea.io/gitea@v1.25.4
  ```

- github.com/go-gitea/gitea (Go): upgrade to 1.25.4 or later

  ```sh
  go get github.com/go-gitea/gitea@v1.25.4
  ```


## Technical details

An improper access control vulnerability (CWE-284) exists in Gitea's organization project operations due to insufficient validation of project ownership. The flaw allows a user who has been granted project write permissions within one organization to perform unauthorized operations on projects belonging to different organizations. The vulnerability is reachable over the network and does not require complex attack conditions, though it typically requires the attacker to have an existing account with project-level permissions. The issue was addressed by improving permission checks in organization project operations in Gitea version 1.25.4.

## Affected products

- Gitea Gitea < 1.25.4
- Red Hat OpenShift Pipelines 1

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-20750
- GHSA-rw22-5hhq-pfpf
- GO-2026-4370

## Timeline

- 2026-01-22: disclosed
- 2026-01-22: advisory
- 2026-01-22: patched: Released in version 1.25.4

## References

- [https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-1.25.4/](https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-1.25.4/)
- [https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/36318](https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/36318)
- [https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/36373](https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/36373)
- [https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/tag/v1.25.4](https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/tag/v1.25.4)
- [https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-h4fh-pc4w-8w27](https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-h4fh-pc4w-8w27)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-20750](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-20750)
- [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2432216](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2432216)

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- [Gitea project boards information disclosure of private pull requests](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119533-repository-and-organization-project-boards-listed-the-pull)
- [Gitea API token scope bypass in repository deletion](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119441-delete-api-v1-orgs-org-repos-deletes-all-repositories-of-an)