CVE-2021-45326 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability exists in Gitea before version 1.5.2 via API routes, posing a risk with state altering POST requests.

Understanding CVE-2021-45326

This CVE identifies a CSRF vulnerability in Gitea before version 1.5.2, potentially allowing malicious actors to initiate state-changing actions via API routes.

What is CVE-2021-45326?

CVE-2021-45326 is a CSRF vulnerability in Gitea that can be exploited by attackers to perform unauthorized state alterations by tricking authenticated users into executing malicious requests.

The Impact of CVE-2021-45326

The CSRF vulnerability in Gitea before version 1.5.2 can lead to unauthorized actions being performed by authenticated users, potentially compromising the integrity and security of the system.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-45326

This section provides technical insights into the CSRF vulnerability in Gitea before version 1.5.2.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows attackers to forge requests that can lead to unauthorized operations being executed within the Gitea application.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Gitea
Vendor: N/A
Versions Affected: All versions before 1.5.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can craft and send malicious requests, taking advantage of the CSRF vulnerability to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users without their consent.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2021-45326, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Gitea to version 1.5.2 or newer to mitigate the CSRF vulnerability.
Implement strict validation mechanisms for API requests to prevent unauthorized actions.
Educate users about CSRF attacks and best security practices.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly audit and monitor API activities for suspicious behavior.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches released by Gitea and promptly apply them to keep the system secure.