CVE-2026-56750 in Gitea
Summary
by MITRE • 08/13/2026
Gitea Remember-Me Token Theft Not Invalidating Attacker Session
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2026
The vulnerability in Gitea's remember-me token implementation represents a critical session management flaw that allows attackers to maintain persistent access to user accounts even after legitimate session invalidation. This issue stems from the improper handling of authentication tokens during the remember-me functionality, where the system fails to properly invalidate sessions when users log out or when security events occur. The flaw exists in the core authentication flow where remember-me tokens are stored and validated without proper session tracking mechanisms that would prevent reuse by unauthorized parties.
The technical implementation defect occurs when Gitea generates remember-me tokens for users who opt to remain logged in across browser sessions. These tokens typically contain sufficient entropy and are stored in a manner that allows them to be reused even after legitimate logout operations. When users log out through the standard interface, the system does not properly invalidate the associated remember-me token or update the session state in a way that would prevent subsequent authentication attempts using the same token. This creates a persistent access vector where attackers who obtain these tokens can continue to authenticate as the legitimate user without requiring additional credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to maintain long-term presence within systems that rely on Gitea for source code management and collaboration. Attackers can leverage stolen remember-me tokens to access repositories, modify code, create new branches, and potentially escalate privileges within the platform. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that depend on automated processes or continuous integration workflows where unauthorized modifications could go undetected for extended periods. The persistence of these sessions makes forensic analysis more challenging as the attack timeline becomes obscured by legitimate-looking authentication patterns.
Security implications of this flaw align with CWE-613, which addresses insufficient session expiration and improper session management. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to credential harvesting through phishing or other means, as attackers can use stolen remember-me tokens to establish persistent access without requiring active user interaction for credential reuse. Organizations using Gitea for enterprise development environments face heightened risk since these tokens often remain valid for extended periods and may not be regularly rotated by system administrators. The vulnerability becomes more severe in environments where multiple users share the same machine or when users fail to properly secure their browsers.
Mitigation strategies should include implementing proper token invalidation mechanisms that ensure remember-me tokens are destroyed upon user logout and during security events such as password changes. Organizations should enforce regular token rotation policies and implement session monitoring systems that detect anomalous access patterns. The recommended solution involves modifying the authentication flow to maintain a blacklist or revocation list for remember-me tokens, ensuring that any token associated with an invalidated session cannot be reused. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication alongside remember-me functionality can provide additional protection layers while also enabling more robust session management practices. Security teams should conduct regular audits of authentication tokens and implement monitoring solutions that alert on suspicious session usage patterns to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability across their infrastructure.