CVE-2026-26973
Discourse doesn't scope reviewable notes to user-visible reviewables
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 have an IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) in ReviewableNotesController. When enable_category_group_moderation is enabled, a user belonging to a category moderation group can create or delete their own notes on any reviewable in the system, including reviewables in categories they do not moderate. The controller used an unscoped Reviewable.find and the ensure_can_see guard only checked whether the user could access the review queue in general, not whether they could access the specific reviewable. Only instances with enable_category_group_moderation enabled are affected. Staff users (admins/moderators) are not impacted as they already have access to all reviewables. The issue is patched in versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 by scoping the reviewable lookup through Reviewable.viewable_by(current_user). As a workaround, disable the enable_category_group_moderation site setting. This removes the attack surface as only staff users will have access to the review queue.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used 4.3
Discourse doesn't scope reviewable notes to user-visible reviewables
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 have an IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) in ReviewableNotesController. When enable_category_group_moderation is enabled, a user belonging to a category moderation group can create or delete their own notes on any reviewable in the system, including reviewables in categories they do not moderate. The controller used an unscoped Reviewable.find and the ensure_can_see guard only checked whether the user could access the review queue in general, not whether they could access the specific reviewable. Only instances with enable_category_group_moderation enabled are affected. Staff users (admins/moderators) are not impacted as they already have access to all reviewables. The issue is patched in versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 by scoping the reviewable lookup through Reviewable.viewable_by(current_user). As a workaround, disable the enable_category_group_moderation site setting. This removes the attack surface as only staff users will have access to the review queue.
- Record
CVE-2026-26973- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-8878 4.3
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 have an IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) in ReviewableNotesController. When enable_category_group_moderation is enabled, a user belonging to a category moderation group can create or delete their own notes on any reviewable in the system, including reviewables in categories they do not moderate. The controller used an unscoped Reviewable.find and the ensure_can_see guard only checked whether the user could access the review queue in general, not whether they could access the specific reviewable. Only instances with enable_category_group_moderation enabled are affected. Staff users (admins/moderators) are not impacted as they already have access to all reviewables. The issue is patched in versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 by scoping the reviewable lookup through Reviewable.viewable_by(current_user). As a workaround, disable the enable_category_group_moderation site setting. This removes the attack surface as only staff users will have access to the review queue.
- Record
EUVD-2026-8878- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD 4.3
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 have an IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) in ReviewableNotesController. When enable_category_group_moderation is enabled, a user belonging to a category moderation group can create or delete their own notes on any reviewable in the system, including reviewables in categories they do not moderate. The controller used an unscoped Reviewable.find and the ensure_can_see guard only checked whether the user could access the review queue in general, not whether they could access the specific reviewable. Only instances with enable_category_group_moderation enabled are affected. Staff users (admins/moderators) are not impacted as they already have access to all reviewables. The issue is patched in versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 by scoping the reviewable lookup through Reviewable.viewable_by(current_user). As a workaround, disable the enable_category_group_moderation site setting. This removes the attack surface as only staff users will have access to the review queue.
- Record
CVE-2026-26973- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-863, CWE-639
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV 4.3
Discourse doesn't scope reviewable notes to user-visible reviewables
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 have an IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) in ReviewableNotesController. When enable_category_group_moderation is enabled, a user belonging to a category moderation group can create or delete their own notes on any reviewable in the system, including reviewables in categories they do not moderate. The controller used an unscoped Reviewable.find and the ensure_can_see guard only checked whether the user could access the review queue in general, not whether they could access the specific reviewable. Only instances with enable_category_group_moderation enabled are affected. Staff users (admins/moderators) are not impacted as they already have access to all reviewables. The issue is patched in versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 by scoping the reviewable lookup through Reviewable.viewable_by(current_user). As a workaround, disable the enable_category_group_moderation site setting. This removes the attack surface as only staff users will have access to the review queue.
- Record
CVE-2026-26973- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-discourse-2026-26973No score
Discourse doesn't scope reviewable notes to user-visible reviewables
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 have an IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) in ReviewableNotesController. When enable_category_group_moderation is enabled, a user belonging to a category moderation group can create or delete their own notes on any reviewable in the system, including reviewables in categories they do not moderate. The controller used an unscoped Reviewable.find and the ensure_can_see guard only checked whether the user could access the review queue in general, not whether they could access the specific reviewable. Only instances with enable_category_group_moderation enabled are affected. Staff users (admins/moderators) are not impacted as they already have access to all reviewables. The issue is patched in versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 by scoping the reviewable lookup through Reviewable.viewable_by(current_user). As a workaround, disable the enable_category_group_moderation site setting. This removes the attack surface as only staff users will have access to the review queue.
- Record
BIT-discourse-2026-26973- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
discourseBitnami | before 2025.12.2, 2026.1.0 up to 2026.1.1 | 2025.12.22026.1.1 |
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-2026-26973 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.3) in Discourse, published February 26, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.18%, the 7th percentile. Fixed in discourse 2025.12.2.