CVE-2023-46241Network attack vector

Account takeover via unconditional email verification

Published Feb 21, 2024 · Updated Aug 27, 2024

Incorrect authorization in Discourse Microsoft Authentication Plugin allows remote attackers to take over accounts through Microsoft sign-in. The primary_email_verified? method always returns true, so Discourse trusts an identity-provider email without verifying that its owner controls it. Exploitation requires the plugin to be enabled and the Microsoft application to accept accounts beyond a single organizational directory.

CVSS severity9.0
Critical
EPSS probability0.80%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in Discourse Microsoft Authentication Plugin allows remote attackers to take over accounts through Microsoft sign-in. The primary_email_verified? method always returns true, so Discourse trusts an identity-provider email without verifying that its owner controls it. Exploitation requires the plugin to be enabled and the Microsoft application to accept accounts beyond a single organizational directory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-46241
Published
Feb 21, 2024
Updated
Aug 27, 2024
Vendor
Discourse
Product
Discourse Microsoft Authentication Plugin
Classifications
CWE-863, T1078
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 21, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 27, 2024Record 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=< c40665f44509724b64938c85def9fb2e79f62ec8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Discourse · Discourse Microsoft Authentication Pluginversion=< c40665f44509724b64938c85def9fb2e79f62ec8
Discourse · Discourseversion=0 <c40665f44509724b64938c85def9fb2e79f62ec8

Published CVSS scores

8.1NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.0GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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.

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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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization
T1078Valid Accounts

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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