CVE-2023-22454Network attack vector

Stored XSS via unescaped pending post titles

Published Jan 5, 2023 · Updated Mar 10, 2025

Stored cross-site scripting in Discourse before 2.8.14 and 2.9.0.beta0 through 3.0.0.beta15 lets remote authenticated users run script. The user-activity-pending route rendered each PendingPost title without escaping it; the patch applies escapeExpression before emoji processing. Exploitation requires a category that sends new topics for moderator approval, a modified or disabled default Content Security Policy, and a user who views the pending post.

CVSS severity8.0
High
EPSS probability0.57%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Stored cross-site scripting in Discourse before 2.8.14 and 2.9.0.beta0 through 3.0.0.beta15 lets remote authenticated users run script. The user-activity-pending route rendered each PendingPost title without escaping it; the patch applies escapeExpression before emoji processing. Exploitation requires a category that sends new topics for moderator approval, a modified or disabled default Content Security Policy, and a user who views the pending post.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-22454
Published
Jan 5, 2023
Updated
Mar 10, 2025
Vendor
Discourse
Product
Discourse
Classifications
CWE-79, T1203
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 5, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 10, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=< 2.8.14
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 2.9.0.beta0, < 3.0.0.beta16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Discourse · Discourseversion=< 2.8.14; version=>= 2.9.0.beta0, < 3.0.0.beta16

Published CVSS scores

8.0GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

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-79Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

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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