CVE-2026-26194: Gogs Git Service RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-26194 Overview

CVE-2026-26194 is a command injection vulnerability in Gogs, an open source self-hosted Git service. Prior to version 0.14.2, a security flaw exists where deleting a release can fail if a user-controlled tag name is passed to git without the right separator, allowing git options to be injected and interfere with the git process. This argument injection vulnerability (CWE-88) enables attackers to manipulate git command execution through maliciously crafted tag names.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can inject arbitrary git options through user-controlled tag names during release deletion, potentially leading to information disclosure or denial of service conditions.

Affected Products

• Gogs versions prior to 0.14.2
• Gogs self-hosted Git service installations
• Systems using the vulnerable internal/database/release.go component

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-05 - CVE-2026-26194 published to NVD
• 2026-03-05 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-26194

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied input when processing tag names for release deletion operations. When a user initiates a release deletion, the tag name is passed directly to the underlying git process without proper sanitization or the use of safe argument separators. This allows an attacker to craft a malicious tag name that includes git command-line options, which are then interpreted by the git executable rather than being treated as literal tag name data.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-88 (Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command), indicating that the application fails to properly neutralize special elements that could be interpreted as argument delimiters when constructing commands to be executed by a downstream component.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in the internal/database/release.go file where the application directly invokes git operations without using the safe git-module API for tag deletion. The vulnerable code path failed to use the -- separator that distinguishes git options from positional arguments (such as tag names), allowing user-controlled input to be interpreted as git options rather than literal values.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Creating a repository release with a specially crafted tag name containing git option flags
2. Triggering the release deletion functionality
3. The malicious tag name is passed unsanitized to the git process
4. Git interprets the injected options, potentially causing unintended behavior

The patch modifies the release handling code to use the safe git-module API, which properly handles argument separation:

 	"github.com/gogs/git-module"
 
 	"gogs.io/gogs/internal/errutil"
-	"gogs.io/gogs/internal/process"
 	apiv1types "gogs.io/gogs/internal/route/api/v1/types"
)

Source: GitHub Commit

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-26194

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual git process executions with unexpected command-line arguments
• Release deletion requests containing special characters or dashes in tag names
• Error logs indicating git command failures during release operations
• Unexpected git configuration changes or file access patterns

Detection Strategies

• Monitor git process invocations for anomalous argument patterns, particularly those starting with - or -- in tag name positions
• Implement web application firewall rules to detect suspicious tag name patterns in release deletion API requests
• Review Gogs application logs for failed release deletion operations that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Enable detailed logging for git subprocess executions to capture potential injection attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerting for git processes spawned by Gogs with unusual argument counts or patterns
• Monitor for repeated failed release deletion attempts from single sources
• Implement anomaly detection for API endpoints handling release management
• Track version information to ensure prompt identification of vulnerable Gogs installations

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-26194

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Gogs to version 0.14.2 or later immediately
• Review release deletion logs for any suspicious activity prior to patching
• Audit existing releases for tag names containing potentially malicious patterns
• Consider temporarily restricting release deletion permissions until the patch is applied

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been patched in Gogs version 0.14.2. The fix involves replacing the direct process invocation with the safe git-module API that properly handles argument separation for tag deletion operations. Detailed information about the patch is available in the GitHub Security Advisory, GitHub Pull Request #8175, and Release Notes for v0.14.2.

Workarounds

• Restrict release deletion permissions to trusted administrators only until the upgrade is completed
• Implement input validation at the reverse proxy or WAF level to block tag names containing git option patterns
• Monitor and alert on release deletion API calls with suspicious tag name parameters
• Consider disabling release functionality temporarily if immediate patching is not feasible

# Verify your Gogs version and upgrade if necessary
gogs --version

# If running via Docker, pull the patched version
docker pull gogs/gogs:0.14.2

# Restart the Gogs service after upgrade
systemctl restart gogs