CVE-2026-25120 in Gogs
Summary
by MITRE • 02/19/2026
Gogs is an open source self-hosted Git service. In versions 0.13.4 and below, the DeleteComment API does not verify that the comment belongs to the repository specified in the URL. This allows a repository administrator to delete comments from any other repository by supplying arbitrary comment IDs, bypassing authorization controls. The DeleteComment function retrieves a comment by ID without verifying repository ownership and the Database function DeleteCommentByID performs no repository validation. This issue has been fixed in version 0.14.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-25120 affects Gogs, a popular open source self-hosted Git service that provides repository management and collaboration features for development teams. This authentication bypass flaw exists in Gogs versions 0.13.4 and earlier, representing a critical security weakness that undermines the fundamental access control mechanisms designed to protect repository data and user comments. The issue specifically targets the DeleteComment API endpoint, which serves as a crucial interface for managing user-generated content within the Git repository ecosystem. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and authorization checks within the application's comment management subsystem, creating a pathway for unauthorized data manipulation that could compromise repository integrity and user privacy.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the improper validation of comment ownership during the deletion process. When a user attempts to delete a comment through the DeleteComment API, the system retrieves the comment by its unique identifier without performing necessary repository ownership verification. This flaw occurs at the database layer where the DeleteCommentByID function executes without checking whether the comment actually belongs to the repository specified in the API request URL. The absence of repository validation creates a condition where a repository administrator could exploit this weakness by crafting malicious API requests with arbitrary comment IDs from other repositories. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software applications, and represents a classic case of insufficient access control validation. The vulnerability enables attackers to bypass the intended security boundaries that should prevent users from accessing or modifying data outside their designated repository scope.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized comment deletion, as it fundamentally compromises the security model of repository management within Gogs. Repository administrators who believe they have exclusive control over their repository content may unknowingly allow malicious actors to manipulate comments across multiple repositories, potentially affecting collaboration workflows, data integrity, and user trust. The consequences could include the removal of important discussion threads, the deletion of critical code review comments, or the disruption of development processes that rely on comment-based collaboration. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that depend on Gogs for secure code management, as it creates a persistent risk that could be exploited by both internal users with administrative privileges and external attackers who gain access to administrative accounts. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage, as it exploits legitimate administrative privileges to perform unauthorized actions, and T1566 which addresses credential harvesting, since the attack could potentially be extended to compromise additional repository data through similar authorization bypass mechanisms.
Organizations using affected versions of Gogs should immediately implement mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability while planning for the mandatory upgrade to version 0.14.0 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for repository ownership validation. The immediate mitigation approach involves implementing additional API request validation layers that verify repository ownership before processing comment deletion requests, potentially through database joins or additional lookup queries that cross-reference comment IDs with repository identifiers. Administrators should also consider implementing rate limiting and monitoring for unusual comment deletion patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The fix implemented in version 0.14.0 addresses the root cause by ensuring that the DeleteComment function performs proper repository validation before executing database operations, thereby preventing unauthorized access to comments across repository boundaries. This remediation aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks, specifically addressing the need for robust input validation and proper access control enforcement. Organizations should also conduct thorough security audits of their Gogs installations to identify any other potential authorization bypass vulnerabilities that may exist within the broader application ecosystem, as this vulnerability demonstrates a systemic weakness in the authorization validation architecture that could affect other API endpoints.