CVE-2023-23622
Discourse: Presence of read restricted topics may be leaked if tagged with a tag that is visible to all users
Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag is a count of all regular topics regardless of whether the topic is in a read restricted category or not. As a result, any users can technically poll a sensitive tag to determine if a new topic is created in a category which the user does not have excess to.
In version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag defaults to only counting regular topics which are not in read restricted categories. Staff users will continue to see a count of all topics regardless of the topic's category read restrictions.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.3
Discourse: Presence of read restricted topics may be leaked if tagged with a tag that is visible to all users
Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag is a count of all regular topics regardless of whether the topic is in a read restricted category or not. As a result, any users can technically poll a sensitive tag to determine if a new topic is created in a category which the user does not have excess to.
In version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag defaults to only counting regular topics which are not in read restricted categories. Staff users will continue to see a count of all topics regardless of the topic's category read restrictions.
- Record
CVE-2023-23622- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-27716
4.3
Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag is a count of all regular topics regardless of whether the topic is in a read restricted category or not. As a result, any users can technically poll a sensitive tag to determine if a new topic is created in a category which the user does not have excess to.
In version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag defaults to only counting regular topics which are not in read restricted categories. Staff users will continue to see a count of all topics regardless of the topic's category read restrictions.
- Record
EUVD-2023-27716- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.3
Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag is a count of all regular topics regardless of whether the topic is in a read restricted category or not. As a result, any users can technically poll a sensitive tag to determine if a new topic is created in a category which the user does not have excess to.
In version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag defaults to only counting regular topics which are not in read restricted categories. Staff users will continue to see a count of all topics regardless of the topic's category read restrictions.
- Record
CVE-2023-23622- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
4.3
Discourse: Presence of read restricted topics may be leaked if tagged with a tag that is visible to all users
Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag is a count of all regular topics regardless of whether the topic is in a read restricted category or not. As a result, any users can technically poll a sensitive tag to determine if a new topic is created in a category which the user does not have excess to.
In version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag defaults to only counting regular topics which are not in read restricted categories. Staff users will continue to see a count of all topics regardless of the topic's category read restrictions.
- Record
CVE-2023-23622- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-discourse-2023-23622 No score
Discourse: Presence of read restricted topics may be leaked if tagged with a tag that is visible to all users
Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag is a count of all regular topics regardless of whether the topic is in a read restricted category or not. As a result, any users can technically poll a sensitive tag to determine if a new topic is created in a category which the user does not have excess to.
In version 3.0.1 of the stable branch and version 3.1.0.beta2 of the beta and tests-passed branches, the count of topics displayed for a tag defaults to only counting regular topics which are not in read restricted categories. Staff users will continue to see a count of all topics regardless of the topic's category read restrictions.
- Record
BIT-discourse-2023-23622- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
discourseBitnami |
before 3.0.0 | 3.0.0 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-23622 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.3) in Discourse, published March 17, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.53%, the 45th percentile. Fixed in discourse 3.0.0.
References
github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-2wvr-4x7w-v795
github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/20004
github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/20005
github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/105fee978d73b0ec23ff814a09d1c0c9ace95164
github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/ecb9aa5dba94741d9579f4f873f0675f48b4184f
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-23622
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/23xxx/CVE-2023-23622.json