CVE-2023-23616Network attack vector

Database flooding via unbounded membership-request reasons

Published Jan 27, 2023 · Updated Mar 10, 2025

Uncontrolled resource consumption in Discourse before 3.0.1 allows remote authenticated users to flood its database via membership requests. The GroupRequest model stores the submitted reason without a length validation, and the request form imposes no client-side maximum. An ordinary group member can submit oversized values, while only administrators read the stored reasons, limiting practical service interruption.

CVSS severity3.5
Low
EPSS probability0.68%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled resource consumption in Discourse before 3.0.1 allows remote authenticated users to flood its database via membership requests. The GroupRequest model stores the submitted reason without a length validation, and the request form imposes no client-side maximum. An ordinary group member can submit oversized values, while only administrators read the stored reasons, limiting practical service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-23616
Published
Jan 27, 2023
Updated
Mar 10, 2025
Vendor
Discourse
Product
Discourse
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.003
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 27, 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 <3.0.1
  2. Affected versionversion=3.1.0.beta1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Discourse · Discourseversion=3.0.1 <3.0.1; version=3.1.0.beta1

Published CVSS scores

3.5GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
4.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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.

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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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.003Application Exhaustion Flood

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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