CVE-2022-21684
CVE-2022-21684 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Discourse with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.3. 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-287.
Key facts
- Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.3)
- CVSS v2: 6.0
- EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (57th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-287
- Affected product: Discourse
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2.7.13 in `stable`, 2.8.0.beta11 in `beta`, and 2.8.0.beta11 in `tests-passed` allow some users to log in to a community before they should be able to do so. A user invited via email to a forum with `must_approve_users` enabled is going to be automatically logged in, bypassing the check that does not allow unapproved users to sign in. They will be able to do everything an approved user can do. If they logout, they cannot log back in. This issue is patched in the `stable` version 2.7.13, `beta` version 2.8.0.beta11, and `tests-passed` version 2.8.0.beta11. One may disable invites as a workaround. Administrators can increase `min_trust_level_to_allow_invite` to reduce the attack surface to more trusted users.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2022-21684?
- Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2.7.13 in `stable`, 2.8.0.beta11 in `beta`, and 2.8.0.beta11 in `tests-passed` allow some users to log in to a community before they should be able to do so. A user invited via email to a forum with `must_approve_users` enabled is going to be automatically logged in, bypassing the check that does not allow unapproved users to sign in. They will be able to do everything an approved user can do. If they logout, they cannot log back in. This issue is patched in the `stable` version 2.7.13, `beta` version 2.8.0.beta11, and `tests-passed` version 2.8.0.beta11. One may disable invites as a workaround. Administrators can increase `min_trust_level_to_allow_invite` to reduce the attack surface to more trusted users.
- How severe is CVE-2022-21684?
- CVE-2022-21684 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.
- Is CVE-2022-21684 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2022-21684?
- CVE-2022-21684 primarily affects Discourse. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2022-21684?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
- When was CVE-2022-21684 published?
- CVE-2022-21684 was published on 2022-01-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/584c6a2e8bc705072b09a9c4b55126d6f8ed4ad2
- https://github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-p63q-jp48-h8xh
- https://meta.discourse.org/t/invite-redemption-allowed-user-to-access-forum-before-approval/214328
Affected products (11)
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta10:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta5:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta6:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta7:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta8:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:2.8.0:beta9:*:*:*:*:*:*
More vulnerabilities in Discourse
- CVE-2021-41163 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Discourse is an open source platform for community discussion. In affected versions maliciously crafted requests could…
- CVE-2025-53102 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Discourse is an open-source community discussion platform. Prior to version 3.4.7 on the `stable` branch and version…
- CVE-2025-48877 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.4.4 of the `stable` branch, version 3.5.0.beta5 of…
- CVE-2022-36066 — Critical (CVSS 9.1): Discourse is an open source discussion platform. In versions prior to 2.8.9 on the `stable` branch and prior to…
- CVE-2022-39356 — High (CVSS 8.9): Discourse is a platform for community discussion. Users who receive an invitation link that is not scoped to a single…
- CVE-2023-22468 — High (CVSS 8.8): Discourse is an open source platform for community discussion. Versions prior to 2.8.13 (stable), 3.0.0.beta16 (beta)…
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