CVE-2026-59774 in Gitea
Summary
by MITRE • 10/15/2026
Gitea's Org-mode markup renderer processes INCLUDE directives supplied to the repository markup endpoint without preventing access to server-side files. An unauthenticated attacker can use a suitable public repository to read files accessible to the Gitea service account. If the disclosed files include app.ini and its INTERNAL_TOKEN, the attacker can chain the disclosure with internal logger access to modify a Git hook and execute commands as the Gitea service account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2026
The vulnerability in question represents a critical server-side request forgery (SSRF) variant combined with local file inclusion within the Gitea application's Org-mode markup renderer. Specifically, the flaw resides in how the system processes INCLUDE directives found in Markdown files when they are rendered via the repository markup endpoint. Instead of restricting these includes to resources within the public repository or validating their origin against a safe allowlist, the parser allows arbitrary file paths on the underlying operating system. This design oversight permits an unauthenticated attacker to craft malicious Org-mode content that references sensitive server-side configuration files and data stores accessible by the Gitea service account running in the background.
The operational impact of this flaw is severe due to its potential for complete system compromise through a multi-stage attack chain. Initially, the vulnerability allows for unauthorized information disclosure. By supplying specific file paths within an INCLUDE directive, an attacker can read arbitrary files from the server's filesystem. This capability is particularly dangerous when targeting configuration files such as app.ini, which often contain internal tokens and secrets required for inter-service communication or administrative access. The exposure of these credentials provides the necessary authentication material to escalate privileges beyond unauthenticated access.
Once the INTERNAL_TOKEN or similar sensitive credential is extracted from the disclosed configuration file, the attacker can leverage this information to interact with Gitea's internal APIs. This leads to a secondary vulnerability where the authenticated session allows modification of Git hooks associated with repositories managed by the service account. By injecting malicious commands into these hooks, which are executed during standard Git operations such as pushes or pulls, the attacker achieves remote code execution (RCE) on the host machine under the context of the Gitea process. This effectively grants full control over the server infrastructure hosting the instance.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20 Improper Input Validation and CWE-94 Server-Side Request Forgery in Web Applications. The failure to validate file paths against a restricted set of allowed directories constitutes an improper input validation error that leads directly to unauthorized information disclosure. Furthermore, the ability to access internal resources via user-controlled input maps closely to ATT&CK technique T1083 File and Directory Discovery, followed by T1505 Server Software Component which involves implanting web shells or modifying server components like Git hooks for persistence and command execution.
Mitigation strategies must focus on strict input validation and principle of least privilege implementation. Developers should enforce a whitelist approach for file paths in the Org-mode INCLUDE directive, ensuring that only files within the designated repository root can be included. Additionally, implementing path canonicalization to prevent directory traversal sequences such as ../ is essential. For immediate remediation, Gitea administrators should apply available patches or updates provided by the vendor that address this specific rendering flaw. In environments where patching is not immediately feasible, restricting network access to the markup endpoint and ensuring the Gitea service account operates with minimal filesystem permissions can help reduce the blast radius of a potential exploitation attempt.