CVE-2022-39385 : What You Need to Know

Discourse, an open-source discussion platform, was impacted by a vulnerability that allowed users, redeeming an invitation, to be silently added as participants to private message topics they should not have access to. This issue has been addressed in the latest commit and affected versions have been identified.

Understanding CVE-2022-39385

This section provides insights into the nature of the vulnerability and its potential impact on affected systems.

What is CVE-2022-39385?

The vulnerability in Discourse allowed users to be mistakenly added to private message topics without their knowledge, potentially exposing sensitive information to unauthorized actors.

The Impact of CVE-2022-39385

The vulnerability posed a medium severity threat with a base score of 6.5 under CVSS v3.1. While user interaction was not required, it could lead to unauthorized access to confidential information.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-39385

Explore the specifics of the vulnerability, including affected systems, exploitation methods, and recommended actions for mitigation.

Vulnerability Description

Users redeeming invitations in Discourse were erroneously added to private message topics, potentially leading to exposure of sensitive information.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions up to Stable: <= 2.8.10 and Beta: <= 2.9.0.beta11 were susceptible to this vulnerability, requiring immediate attention.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allowed users to be transparently added to private message topics without notification, posing a risk of unauthorized access.

Mitigation and Prevention

Learn about the steps necessary to address the CVE-2022-39385 vulnerability and prevent similar risks in the future.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are urged to upgrade to the latest release of Discourse to mitigate the vulnerability. Additionally, setting

SiteSetting.max_invites_per_day

to 0 is recommended until the patch is installed.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement robust security practices, including regular updates and monitoring, to prevent similar vulnerabilities and protect sensitive data.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches and updates for Discourse to address known vulnerabilities and enhance system security.