How severe is CVE-2020-15139?

CVE-2020-15139 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-15139 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (67th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-15139?

CVE-2020-15139 affects Mybb. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-15139?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2020-15139 published?

CVE-2020-15139 was published on 2020-08-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-15139

CVE-2020-15139 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mybb with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-79.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (67th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-79
Affected product: Mybb
Published: 2020-08-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In MyBB before version 1.8.24, the custom MyCode (BBCode) for the visual editor doesn't escape input properly when rendering HTML, resulting in a DOM-based XSS vulnerability. The weakness can be exploited by pointing a victim to a page where the visual editor is active (e.g. as a post or Private Message) and operates on a maliciously crafted MyCode message. This may occur on pages where message content is pre-filled using a GET/POST parameter, or on reply pages where a previously saved malicious message is quoted. After upgrading MyBB to 1.8.24, make sure to update the version attribute in the `codebuttons` template for non-default themes to serve the latest version of the patched `jscripts/bbcodes_sceditor.js` file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-15139?: In MyBB before version 1.8.24, the custom MyCode (BBCode) for the visual editor doesn't escape input properly when rendering HTML, resulting in a DOM-based XSS vulnerability. The weakness can be exploited by pointing a victim to a page where the visual editor is active (e.g. as a post or Private Message) and operates on a maliciously crafted MyCode message. This may occur on pages where message content is pre-filled using a GET/POST parameter, or on reply pages where a previously saved malicious message is quoted. After upgrading MyBB to 1.8.24, make sure to update the version attribute in the `codebuttons` template for non-default themes to serve the latest version of the patched `jscripts/bbcodes_sceditor.js` file.
How severe is CVE-2020-15139?: CVE-2020-15139 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-15139 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (67th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-15139?: CVE-2020-15139 affects Mybb. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-15139?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-15139 published?: CVE-2020-15139 was published on 2020-08-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:mybb:mybb:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Mybb

CVE-2015-8974 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): SQL injection vulnerability in the Group Promotions module in the admin control panel in MyBB (aka MyBulletinBoard)…
CVE-2015-2786 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in MyBB (aka MyBulletinBoard) before 1.8.4 has unknown attack vectors related to "Group join…
CVE-2011-5133 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in MyBB before 1.6.5 has unknown impact and attack vectors, related to an "unparsed user…
CVE-2006-0218 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in MyBulletinBoard (MyBB) before 1.0.2 have unspecified impact and attack vectors,…
CVE-2011-10018 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): myBB version 1.6.4 was distributed with an unauthorized backdoor embedded in the source code. The backdoor allowed…
CVE-2020-22612 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Installer RCE on settings file write in MyBB before 1.8.22.

All CVEs affecting Mybb →

Other CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting (XSS)) vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-49410 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Imran Emu TC…
CVE-2024-47875 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): DOMPurify is a DOM-only, super-fast, uber-tolerant XSS sanitizer for HTML, MathML and SVG. DOMpurify was vulnerable to…
CVE-2024-6886 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Gitea…
CVE-2023-45144 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): com.xwiki.identity-oauth:identity-oauth-ui is a package to aid in building identity and service providers based on…
CVE-2023-45138 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Change Request is an pplication allowing users to request changes on a wiki without publishing the changes directly.…
CVE-2022-4361 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Keycloak, an open-source identity and access management solution, has a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the…

Browse all CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting (XSS)) vulnerabilities →