CVE-2026-96404
Gitea installer authentication bypass for existing accounts
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.
INFO
Published Date :
Oct. 6, 2026, 8:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Oct. 6, 2026, 8:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
88ee5874-cf24-4952-aea0-31affedb7ff2
Solution
- Enable the installation lock configuration setting.
- Verify existing user accounts before installation.
- Reset the installation lock after setup.
- Avoid reinstalling on existing databases.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-96404.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-96404 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-96404
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-96404 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-96404 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by 88ee5874-cf24-4952-aea0-31affedb7ff2
Oct. 06, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added 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. Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/96xxx/CVE-2026-96404.json">CVE-2026-96404</a> Added Reference https://blog.gitea.com/release-of-28.0.0/ Added Reference https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/39400 Added Reference https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/tag/v28.0.0 Added Reference https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-9h7g-h754-c8x2