Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

[{'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'CVE-2026-26196 is a moderate severity vulnerability in the Gogs API where access tokens were accepted via URL query parameters such as "token" and "access_token" in versions prior to 0.14.2.'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'This means that the API authentication logic first checked for tokens in the URL parameters before checking the Authorization header. Because URLs can be logged by servers, proxies, browsers, and appear in referrer headers, tokens passed this way could be exposed unintentionally.'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'This exposure risk could lead to token theft and unauthorized reuse until the token is revoked. The vulnerability is related to the use of GET requests with sensitive query strings.'}] [1, 2, 3]

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How can this vulnerability impact me? :

If you use a vulnerable version of Gogs (prior to 0.14.2), your API access tokens could be leaked through various channels such as server logs, browser history, shell history, or HTTP referrer headers.

This leakage increases the risk that attackers or unauthorized users could obtain your tokens and use them to access your Git service without permission.

Such unauthorized access could lead to data exposure, unauthorized code changes, or other malicious activities depending on the permissions granted by the stolen tokens.

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How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:

I don't know

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How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?

[{'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring network traffic and logs for API requests that include access tokens passed via URL query parameters such as "token" or "access_token".'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Inspect web server or proxy logs for URLs containing "token" or "access_token" parameters.'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Use network packet capture tools (e.g., tcpdump, Wireshark) to filter HTTP GET requests containing these query parameters.'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Example command to search logs for token parameters: grep -E "token=|access_token=" /var/log/nginx/access.log'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': "Example tcpdump command to capture HTTP GET requests with token parameters: tcpdump -A -s 0 'tcp port 80 and (((ip[2:2] - ((ip[0]&0xf)<<2)) - ((tcp[12]&0xf0)>>2)) != 0)' | grep -iE 'token=|access_token='"}] [1]

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What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

[{'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'Immediate mitigation steps include preventing access tokens from being transmitted via URL query parameters and enforcing their use exclusively through HTTP Authorization headers.'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Configure your proxy or web application firewall (WAF) to block or strip query parameters named "token" or "access_token".'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Scrub query strings from logs to avoid token leakage through logging.'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Implement strict referrer policies to prevent tokens from being leaked via HTTP referrer headers.'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Update clients and API consumers to send access tokens only via the HTTP Authorization header in the format: Authorization: token <token>'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Revoke any tokens that may have been exposed through URL parameters to prevent unauthorized reuse.'}] [1, 2, 3]

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