---
id: CVE-2026-20706
title: 'Gitea: Token scope bypass on web archive download endpoint'
summary: 'Gitea: Token scope bypass on web archive download endpoint'
severity: medium
cwe:
  - CWE-863
vendor: gitea
product: code.gitea.io/gitea
ecosystem: go
affected:
  - code.gitea.io/gitea <= 1.26.1
patched:
  - code.gitea.io/gitea 1.26.2
published: '2026-06-16'
updated: '2026-06-16'
source: GHSA
sourceUrl: 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cr4g-f395-h25h'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/security/advisories/GHSA-cr4g-f395-h25h'
  - url: 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cr4g-f395-h25h'
tags:
  - ghsa
  - go
ingestedAt: '2026-06-29T14:31:47.454Z'
epss: 0.00565
epssPercentile: 0.44701
---

## Overview

## Summary

PR #37698 added checkDownloadTokenScope to /raw/*, /media/*, and attachment download web endpoints. The /archive/* endpoint (repo.Download in routers/web/repo/repo.go:372) was not included in the fix. This endpoint accepts OAuth2 tokens via webAuth.AllowOAuth2 (registered at routers/web/web.go:1649-1652) but does not call checkDownloadTokenScope or CheckRepoScopedToken.

A personal access token with any non-repository scope (e.g., read:issue or read:misc) can download full repository archives (zip/tar.gz) of private repositories the token owner has access to.

## Impact

Scope escalation: tokens scoped to non-repository categories can access full repository content through the archive download endpoint. Higher impact than endpoints fixed in #37698 because /archive/* serves the entire repository.

## Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a personal access token with ONLY read:misc scope
2. Access: GET /{owner}/{private-repo}/archive/main.tar.gz
3. Archive is served (200 OK) instead of being rejected (403 Forbidden)

Compare with fixed endpoints:
- GET /{owner}/{private-repo}/raw/branch/main/README.md correctly returns 403

## Root Cause

Download function in routers/web/repo/repo.go:372 does not call checkDownloadTokenScope. The outer group middleware reqUnitCodeReader checks repository permission but not token scope.

The API equivalent (/api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/archive/*) IS properly scoped via tokenRequiresScopes(AccessTokenScopeCategoryRepository). The git HTTP endpoints are scoped via CheckRepoScopedToken in httpBase.

## Suggested Fix

Add checkDownloadTokenScope(ctx) to Download and InitiateDownload in routers/web/repo/repo.go. The function already exists in routers/web/repo/download.go (same package).

## Discovery Method

Variant analysis of PR #37698 — reviewed all web routes with webAuth.AllowOAuth2 middleware.

## Affected packages

- `code.gitea.io/gitea <= 1.26.1`

## Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

- `code.gitea.io/gitea 1.26.2`