Restricted-branch code submission via shared-topic ACL bypass
Published May 13, 2026 · Updated May 13, 2026
Incorrect authorization in Gerrit Code Review 2.12 and later allows remote authenticated users to merge unapproved code into restricted branches. When change.submitWholeTopic is enabled, the create or update path accepts a submit option on one branch and links visible changes sharing its topic without enforcing each target branch's submit requirements. Exploitation requires force-push permission on a secondary branch, an unapproved visible change with a matching topic, and the nondefault whole-topic setting; the result is unauthorized repository modification.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in Gerrit Code Review 2.12 and later allows remote authenticated users to merge unapproved code into restricted branches. When change.submitWholeTopic is enabled, the create or update path accepts a submit option on one branch and links visible changes sharing its topic without enforcing each target branch's submit requirements. Exploitation requires force-push permission on a secondary branch, an unapproved visible change with a matching topic, and the nondefault whole-topic setting; the result is unauthorized repository modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-2725
- Published
- May 13, 2026
- Updated
- May 13, 2026
- Vendor
- Gerrit Code Review
- Product
- Gerrit Code Review
- Classifications
- CWE-863, CAPEC-233, CAPEC-180, T1565.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 13, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=2.12; 0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Gerrit whole-topic ACL bypass issue artifactproof of concept · unverified
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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