CVE-2023-23615Network attack vector

Unauthenticated topic creation as arbitrary users via embeds

Published Feb 3, 2023 · Updated Mar 10, 2025

Improper access control in Discourse stable before 3.0.1 and beta before 3.1.0.beta2 allows remote attackers to create topics as any user via embeds. Discourse has not published the request path, function, or missing authorization operation that lets embeddable comments select another user as the topic author. Exploitation requires at least one configured embeddable host and creates titleless or contentless spam topics under an arbitrary user identity.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.45%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper access control in Discourse stable before 3.0.1 and beta before 3.1.0.beta2 allows remote attackers to create topics as any user via embeds. Discourse has not published the request path, function, or missing authorization operation that lets embeddable comments select another user as the topic author. Exploitation requires at least one configured embeddable host and creates titleless or contentless spam topics under an arbitrary user identity.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-23615
Published
Feb 3, 2023
Updated
Mar 10, 2025
Vendor
Discourse
Product
Discourse
Classifications
CWE-284, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 3, 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=< 3.0.1
  2. Affected versionversion=< 3.1.0.beta2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Discourse · Discourseversion=< 3.0.1; version=< 3.1.0.beta2

Published CVSS scores

5.3GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-284Improper Access Control
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

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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