CVE-2025-68940Network attack vector

Unauthorized branch deletion via unchecked merge cleanup

Published Dec 26, 2025 · Updated Dec 26, 2025

Incorrect authorization in Gitea before 1.22.5 allows remote authenticated users to delete pull-request head branches after merging. The web and API pull-request merge handlers honor DeleteBranchAfterMerge and call branch deletion without first verifying write access to the head repository. An account able to merge a pull request can therefore delete its source branch in a repository where that account lacks branch-write permission.

CVSS severity3.1
Low
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in Gitea before 1.22.5 allows remote authenticated users to delete pull-request head branches after merging. The web and API pull-request merge handlers honor DeleteBranchAfterMerge and call branch deletion without first verifying write access to the head repository. An account able to merge a pull request can therefore delete its source branch in a repository where that account lacks branch-write permission.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68940
Published
Dec 26, 2025
Updated
Dec 26, 2025
Vendor
Gitea
Product
Gitea
Classifications
CWE-863, T1485
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 26, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <1.22.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Gitea · Giteaversion=0 <1.22.5

Published CVSS scores

5.3NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
3.1MITRECVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization
T1485Data Destruction

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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