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CVE-2026-55493

HotCRP: comment-author search exposes anonymous commenter identities

6.5 Medium

HotCRP is conference review software. Starting with 2.101, the cmt: search term checks whether a comment is visible to the searching user but fails to check whether the commenter's identity should be visible. A cmt:USER search can therefore match a paper with a visible comment authored by USER even when the comment is supposed to be anonymous. An authenticated user with access to the search can infer the author of an anonymous comment, compromising reviewer anonymity. Comments that the user cannot see remain excluded from search results. The advisory prose identifies 3.3 as fixed, its affected-version metadata excludes 3.3, and the verified repository tag 3.3 already contains the identity-check fix; however, its patched-version metadata instead lists 3.3.1. This fixed-version source conflict remains unresolved.

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
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.30%Unchanged since Oct 31, 2026
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 6.5

HotCRP: comment-author search exposes anonymous commenter identities

HotCRP is conference review software. Starting with 2.101, the cmt: search term checks whether a comment is visible to the searching user but fails to check whether the commenter's identity should be visible. A cmt:USER search can therefore match a paper with a visible comment authored by USER even when the comment is supposed to be anonymous. An authenticated user with access to the search can infer the author of an anonymous comment, compromising reviewer anonymity. Comments that the user cannot see remain excluded from search results. The advisory prose identifies 3.3 as fixed, its affected-version metadata excludes 3.3, and the verified repository tag 3.3 already contains the identity-check fix; however, its patched-version metadata instead lists 3.3.1. This fixed-version source conflict remains unresolved.

Record
CVE-2026-55493
CVSS 3.1
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-863
Updated
2026-11-05
EUVDEUVD-2026-114367 6.5

HotCRP is conference review software. Starting with 2.101, the cmt: search term checks whether a comment is visible to the searching user but fails to check whether the commenter's identity should be visible. A cmt:USER search can therefore match a paper with a visible comment authored by USER even when the comment is supposed to be anonymous. An authenticated user with access to the search can infer the author of an anonymous comment, compromising reviewer anonymity. Comments that the user cannot see remain excluded from search results. The advisory prose identifies 3.3 as fixed, its affected-version metadata excludes 3.3, and the verified repository tag 3.3 already contains the identity-check fix; however, its patched-version metadata instead lists 3.3.1. This fixed-version source conflict remains unresolved.

Record
EUVD-2026-114367
CVSS 3.1
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-05
NVD 6.5

HotCRP is conference review software. Starting with 2.101, the cmt: search term checks whether a comment is visible to the searching user but fails to check whether the commenter's identity should be visible. A cmt:USER search can therefore match a paper with a visible comment authored by USER even when the comment is supposed to be anonymous. An authenticated user with access to the search can infer the author of an anonymous comment, compromising reviewer anonymity. Comments that the user cannot see remain excluded from search results. The advisory prose identifies 3.3 as fixed, its affected-version metadata excludes 3.3, and the verified repository tag 3.3 already contains the identity-check fix; however, its patched-version metadata instead lists 3.3.1. This fixed-version source conflict remains unresolved.

Record
CVE-2026-55493
CVSS 3.1
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-863
Updated
2026-11-05
OSV 6.5

HotCRP: comment-author search exposes anonymous commenter identities

HotCRP is conference review software. Starting with 2.101, the cmt: search term checks whether a comment is visible to the searching user but fails to check whether the commenter's identity should be visible. A cmt:USER search can therefore match a paper with a visible comment authored by USER even when the comment is supposed to be anonymous. An authenticated user with access to the search can infer the author of an anonymous comment, compromising reviewer anonymity. Comments that the user cannot see remain excluded from search results. The advisory prose identifies 3.3 as fixed, its affected-version metadata excludes 3.3, and the verified repository tag 3.3 already contains the identity-check fix; however, its patched-version metadata instead lists 3.3.1. This fixed-version source conflict remains unresolved.

Record
CVE-2026-55493
CVSS 3.1
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-863
Updated
2026-11-05

Affected products

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
factsNVD, OSV
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2026-55493 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Kohler Hotcrp, published October 30, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.30%, the 22nd percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

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