CVE-2026-96404: Auth Bypass (CVSS 8.1)

Description

When Gitea's web installer is reachable against a database that already contains users, such as after `INSTALL_LOCK` has been reset to `false`, submitting the install form with an administrator username matching an existing account issued an authenticated session for that account without verifying its password. If the account is an administrator, the session grants full administrative access, including changing the account's password. Databases with a single user also did not require the reinstall confirmation.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.1

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0058

Probability of exploitation

0.48%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-287 Improper Authentication

References

Other References

https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-28.0.0/ https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/39400 https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/tag/v28.0.0 https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-9h7g-h754-c8x2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-96404? +

When Gitea's web installer is reachable against a database that already contains users, such as after `INSTALL_LOCK` has been reset to `false`, submitting the install form with an administrator username matching an existing account issued an authenticated session for that account without verifying its password. If the account is an administrator, the session grants full administrative access, including changing the account's password. Databases with a single user also did not require the reinstall confirmation. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-96404? +

CVE-2026-96404 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0058, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-96404? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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