Red Heron Exploits Gitea RCE to Compromise 13 Organizations Across Six Countries
China-linked Red Heron exploited Gitea RCE CVE-2026-60004 to compromise 13 organizations across six countries, stealing source code.
Acronis Threat Research Unit attributes a China-nexus actor tracked as Red Heron to rapid exploitation of Gitea RCE CVE-2026-60004, scanning 1,386 instances across seven countries plus 477 Taiwan-based systems, with confirmed compromises of 13 organizations in Canada, Argentina, Taiwan, the U.S., Qatar, and Sri Lanka. Within days of the July 2026 disclosure, the actor weaponized a public PoC into an automated Python framework registering accounts, exploiting servers, stealing repositories, and removing traces, then deployed the JITTERLY C++ Linux implant (30+ post-exploitation commands) and the undocumented SIXZUT LD_PRELOAD rootkit. In one Taiwanese environment the actor reached root-level access across a three-node Proxmox cluster, targeting defense, elections, energy, aerospace, telecom, government, and research sectors.
- Red Heron weaponized Gitea RCE CVE-2026-60004 within days of disclosure
- 13 confirmed victims across Canada, Argentina, Taiwan, US, Qatar, Sri Lanka
- JITTERLY implant runs 30+ commands; SIXZUT LD_PRELOAD rootkit hides activity
- Reached root on three-node Proxmox cluster; exfiltrated SCADA/HMI repositories
- Acronis assesses China linkage with moderate confidence
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- · 8d agoEmerging Threat: (CVE-2026-60004) Gitea Remote Code Execution via ...
Web discovery (articles for new exploits & KEV entries)· 55
CVE-2026-60004 (CVSS 9.8) lets attackers with repository write access achieve RCE on self-hosted Gitea servers via malicious git hooks; fixed in 1.27.1.
Vulnerabilities in this storyAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-60004 | Unauthenticated RCE in Gitea via diffpatch API Git Hook Injection Gitea before 1.27.1 contains a critical code injection flaw (CWE-94) in the diffpatch API that allows remote code execution by causing the installation of a Git hook. An attacker can submit a crafted request through the diffpatch API to plant a Git hook, which then executes arbitrary shell commands on the server when Git operations run; the CVSS vector indicates the attack requires no authentication or user interaction, while public reporting describes attackers with repository write access planting hooks to run shell commands. Successful exploitation yields full server compromise (confidentiality, integrity, and availability all rated high), and observed attacks have reportedly dropped a cryptocurrency miner. All Gitea deployments running versions prior to 1.27.1 are affected, with internet-facing instances at greatest risk; public scans identified over 8,300 vulnerable Gitea servers. The flaw is actively exploited in the wild: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-08-25, and EPSS estimates an 86.8% probability of exploitation within 30 days. Do: Upgrade Gitea to version 1.27.1 or later immediately; organizations subject to BOD 26-04 must apply the vendor mitigation or discontinue use of unpatched cloud-hosted instances. Until patched, limit internet exposure of Gitea servers and inspect repository hook directories for unauthorized or recently modified hooks that could serve as persistence. Check for signs of compromise, including unexpected processes or cryptocurrency-miner activity, since in-the-wold attacks reportedly deploy a miner. | 9.8 | 87% | KEV PoC ×4 |
| moderate≈8,300+ internet-exposed Gitea servers (public scan count) |