CVE-2025-68933 (GCVE-0-2025-68933)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-01-28 19:17 – Updated: 2026-01-28 20:16
VLAI
Title
Discourse non-admin moderators can exfiltrate private content via post ownership transfer
Summary
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. In versions prior to 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0, non-admin moderators with the `moderators_change_post_ownership` setting enabled can change ownership of posts in private messages and restricted categories they cannot access, then export their data to view the content. This is a broken access control vulnerability affecting sites that grant moderators post ownership transfer permissions. This issue is patched in versions 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0. The patch adds visibility checks for both the topic and posts before allowing ownership transfer. As a workaround, disable the `moderators_change_post_ownership` site setting to prevent non-admin moderators from using the post ownership transfer feature.
Severity
6.9 (Medium)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:N
SSVC
Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: partial
CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)
Decision recorded 2026-01-28 20:15 UTC
CWE
  • CWE-863 - Incorrect Authorization
Assigner
GitHub_M CNA
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
discourse discourse Affected: < 3.5.4
Affected: >= 2025.11.0-latest, < 2025.11.2
Affected: >= 2025.12.0-latest, < 2025.12.1
Affected: >= 2026.1.0-latest, < 2026.1.0
Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2025-68933",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-01-28T20:15:21.675325Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-01-28T20:16:21.375Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "discourse",
          "vendor": "discourse",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c 3.5.4"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003e= 2025.11.0-latest, \u003c 2025.11.2"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003e= 2025.12.0-latest, \u003c 2025.12.1"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003e= 2026.1.0-latest, \u003c 2026.1.0"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "Discourse is an open source discussion platform. In versions prior to 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0, non-admin moderators with the `moderators_change_post_ownership` setting enabled can change ownership of posts in private messages and restricted categories they cannot access, then export their data to view the content. This is a broken access control vulnerability affecting sites that grant moderators post ownership transfer permissions. This issue is patched in versions 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0. The patch adds visibility checks for both the topic and posts before allowing ownership transfer. As a workaround, disable the `moderators_change_post_ownership` site setting to prevent non-admin moderators from using the post ownership transfer feature."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "baseScore": 6.9,
            "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
            "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "HIGH",
            "scope": "CHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:N",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-863",
              "description": "CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-01-28T19:26:43.099Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-hpxv-mw7v-fqg2",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-hpxv-mw7v-fqg2"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-hpxv-mw7v-fqg2",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "Discourse non-admin moderators can exfiltrate private content via post ownership transfer"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2025-68933",
    "datePublished": "2026-01-28T19:17:23.713Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-12-24T23:59:23.392Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-01-28T20:16:21.375Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "vulnrichment": {
      "containers": {
        "adp": [
          {
            "metrics": [
              {
                "other": {
                  "content": {
                    "id": "CVE-2025-68933",
                    "options": [
                      {
                        "Exploitation": "none"
                      },
                      {
                        "Automatable": "no"
                      },
                      {
                        "Technical Impact": "partial"
                      }
                    ],
                    "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                    "timestamp": "2026-01-28T20:15:21.675325Z",
                    "version": "2.0.3"
                  },
                  "type": "ssvc"
                }
              }
            ],
            "providerMetadata": {
              "dateUpdated": "2026-01-28T20:15:55.456Z",
              "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
            },
            "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
          }
        ],
        "cna": {
          "affected": [
            {
              "product": "discourse",
              "vendor": "discourse",
              "versions": [
                {
                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "\u003c 3.5.4"
                },
                {
                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "\u003e= 2025.11.0-latest, \u003c 2025.11.2"
                },
                {
                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "\u003e= 2025.12.0-latest, \u003c 2025.12.1"
                },
                {
                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "\u003e= 2026.1.0-latest, \u003c 2026.1.0"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "Discourse is an open source discussion platform. In versions prior to 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0, non-admin moderators with the `moderators_change_post_ownership` setting enabled can change ownership of posts in private messages and restricted categories they cannot access, then export their data to view the content. This is a broken access control vulnerability affecting sites that grant moderators post ownership transfer permissions. This issue is patched in versions 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0. The patch adds visibility checks for both the topic and posts before allowing ownership transfer. As a workaround, disable the `moderators_change_post_ownership` site setting to prevent non-admin moderators from using the post ownership transfer feature."
            }
          ],
          "metrics": [
            {
              "cvssV3_1": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
                "baseScore": 6.9,
                "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
                "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
                "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
                "privilegesRequired": "HIGH",
                "scope": "CHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:N",
                "version": "3.1"
              }
            }
          ],
          "problemTypes": [
            {
              "descriptions": [
                {
                  "cweId": "CWE-863",
                  "description": "CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization",
                  "lang": "en",
                  "type": "CWE"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "providerMetadata": {
            "dateUpdated": "2026-01-28T19:26:43.099Z",
            "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
            "shortName": "GitHub_M"
          },
          "references": [
            {
              "name": "https://github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-hpxv-mw7v-fqg2",
              "tags": [
                "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
              ],
              "url": "https://github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-hpxv-mw7v-fqg2"
            }
          ],
          "source": {
            "advisory": "GHSA-hpxv-mw7v-fqg2",
            "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
          },
          "title": "Discourse non-admin moderators can exfiltrate private content via post ownership transfer"
        }
      },
      "cveMetadata": {
        "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
        "cveId": "CVE-2025-68933",
        "datePublished": "2026-01-28T19:17:23.713Z",
        "dateReserved": "2025-12-24T23:59:23.392Z",
        "dateUpdated": "2026-01-28T20:16:21.375Z",
        "state": "PUBLISHED"
      },
      "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
      "dataVersion": "5.2"
    }
  }
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.




Drag nodes to arrange them. Double-click a related vulnerability to open it, or a source to visit its link. The Physics button on the left tunes the layout and the simulation; the legend at the bottom left hides or shows nodes by kind and by sighting type.

Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Vulnerability timeline

Sightings and recorded dates, grouped by day · UTC

JSON

Loading timeline…




    Related by attack behaviour

    Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.