CVE-2022-36068Network attack vector

Moderator theme editing via API authorization flaw

Published Sep 29, 2022 · Updated Apr 23, 2025

Authorization bypass in Discourse before 2.8.9 and beta releases before 2.9.0.beta10 allows remote authenticated users with moderator privileges to create or edit themes through the API. Theme routes lacked the administrator authorization enforced by the patch, so moderator requests reached import and modification actions. Exploitation requires a moderator account and network access to the Discourse API, and can alter site presentation and theme assets.

CVSS severity4.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.75%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authorization bypass in Discourse before 2.8.9 and beta releases before 2.9.0.beta10 allows remote authenticated users with moderator privileges to create or edit themes through the API. Theme routes lacked the administrator authorization enforced by the patch, so moderator requests reached import and modification actions. Exploitation requires a moderator account and network access to the Discourse API, and can alter site presentation and theme assets.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-36068
Published
Sep 29, 2022
Updated
Apr 23, 2025
Vendor
Discourse
Product
Discourse
Classifications
CWE-862, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 29, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 23, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 2.8.9
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 2.9.0.beta0, < 2.9.0.beta10

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Discourse · Discourseversion=< 2.8.9; version=>= 2.9.0.beta0, < 2.9.0.beta10

Published CVSS scores

4.3NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
7.2GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-862Missing Authorization
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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