CVE-2026-54481
Description
A flaw was found in Gitea. The internal API HTTP client is configured to skip Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate verification, which is an insecure practice. A remote attacker on the same network segment could exploit this vulnerability to perform man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This allows the attacker to intercept and potentially alter communications with the internal API, leading to unauthorized information disclosure or data manipulation.
Statement
This is an Important Man-in-the-Middle attack vulnerability in Gitea's internal API client. This flaw, caused by hardcoded InsecureSkipVerify:true, allows an attacker on an adjacent network to intercept and potentially manipulate internal communications, compromising data integrity and confidentiality. Red Hat products do not use the affected modules/private/internal.go component.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.5 | N/A | 7.5 |
| Attack Vector | Adjacent Network | N/A | Adjacent Network |
| Attack Complexity | High | N/A | High |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Authentication
Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism; Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
When a certificate is invalid or malicious, it might allow an attacker to spoof a trusted entity by interfering in the communication path between the host and client. The product might connect to a malicious host while believing it is a trusted host, or the product might be deceived into accepting spoofed data that appears to originate from a trusted host.
Frequently Asked Questions
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