# CVE-2026-70396: Gitea organization repository creation token scope bypass

> Attackers can bypass token scope restrictions to create organization repositories using tokens lacking repository-write permissions.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 18 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hxhc-246f-rvqc

## What is CVE-2026-70396?

CVE-2026-70396 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gitea, published on 14 Oct 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Gitea's organization repository-creation API requires write:organization but omits the write:repository token scope enforced by other repository-creation routes. A personal access token or OAuth application token without repository-write scope can therefore create organization-owned repositories if the authorizing user has permission to do so. This bypasses the token's delegated scope boundary while remaining subject to the user's organization permissions.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-70396?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-70396?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-70396 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-70396 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-70396 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-70396 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-70396 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gitea, published on 14 Oct 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-70396 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Gitea. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-70396/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-70396/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-70396
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-70396
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-70396

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-70396/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.