CVE-2026-91123: Discourse: Reject literal backslash path separators in iframe src traversal guard
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 28/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.28% (FIRST EPSS).
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
- No fixed version is recorded, but the references include a patch (commit or PR) link.
Low priority for now. See the fix and affected versions sections below.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to 2026.1.8, 2026.6.3, 2026.7.2, and 2026.8.0, the iframe src traversal guard did not treat literal backslashes as path separators after decoded dot segments. A crafted source could therefore pass an allowed_iframes subpath check while browser URL normalization moved the iframe outside the intended allowed path. The resulting iframe could load content from a location that the administrator did not allow. This issue is fixed in versions 2026.1.8, 2026.6.3, 2026.7.2, and 2026.8.0.
- Published
- Sep 24, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 24, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 21th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-22
Report tools
Action score
28
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 28 / 40 · 7.2 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 7.2
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- No fixed version yet
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
—
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
discourse discourse
- < 2026.8.0, >= 2026.7.0-latest, < 2026.7.2, >= 2026.6.0-latest, < 2026.6.3, >= 2026.1.0-latest, < 2026.1.8affected
Same product
discourse: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2021-41163RCE via malicious SNS subscription payload45Plan
- CVE-2025-68662FinalDestination hostname matching allows SSRF protection bypass39Monitor
- CVE-2023-47121Discourse SSRF vulnerability in Embedding39Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-84302Sep 24, 2026 · Discourse: Non-participant moderators can read, edit, and delete PM content through Discourse AI reviewables16Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-91122Sep 24, 2026 · Discourse: Chat MessageBus delivers read-restricted messages to unauthorized users34Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-91133Sep 24, 2026 · Discourse: Escape LIKE metacharacters in upload paths to prevent disclosure26Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2026-45775104 days apartDiscourse: Cross-site backup access via path traversal in multisite local backups27Monitor
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- low · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- Low
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
nvd-secondary
Root cause
A user-supplied file name is joined with the allowed directory, but the result is never checked to confirm it is still inside that directory.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-22 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
const file = path.join(ROOT, req.query.name);
res.sendFile(file);Fixed
const file = path.resolve(ROOT, req.query.name);
if (!file.startsWith(ROOT + path.sep)) {
return res.sendStatus(400);
}
res.sendFile(file);Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Path TraversalCAPEC-126likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Slashes and URL Encoding Combined to Bypass Validation LogicCAPEC-64likelihood: High · High
- Manipulating Web Input to File System CallsCAPEC-76likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Escaped Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-78likelihood: High · High
- Using Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-79likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Show all references (5 more)Show less
- github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/097ce5600a2d74d9c68e57974597ab2684bd2a24
- github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/0b5a27e689925edce9ba9b14110022435d2b94be
- github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/142f5155ad8e56ddb8012c4e70c69a03dedc0579
- github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/42882
- github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-6pwj-wgg8-4rjc
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.