How severe is CVE-2023-38498?

CVE-2023-38498 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 none, integrity none, and availability low.

Is CVE-2023-38498 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (43rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-38498?

CVE-2023-38498 primarily affects Discourse. In total, 212 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-38498?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2023-38498 published?

CVE-2023-38498 was published on 2023-07-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-38498

CVE-2023-38498 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-770.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (43rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-770
Affected product: Discourse
Published: 2023-07-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.0.6 of the `stable` branch and version 3.1.0.beta7 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches, a malicious user can prevent the defer queue from proceeding promptly on sites hosted in the same multisite installation. The issue is patched in version 3.0.6 of the `stable` branch and version 3.1.0.beta7 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. Users of multisite configurations should upgrade.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-38498?: Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.0.6 of the `stable` branch and version 3.1.0.beta7 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches, a malicious user can prevent the defer queue from proceeding promptly on sites hosted in the same multisite installation. The issue is patched in version 3.0.6 of the `stable` branch and version 3.1.0.beta7 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. Users of multisite configurations should upgrade.
How severe is CVE-2023-38498?: CVE-2023-38498 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 none, integrity none, and availability low.
Is CVE-2023-38498 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (43rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-38498?: CVE-2023-38498 primarily affects Discourse. In total, 212 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-38498?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-38498 published?: CVE-2023-38498 was published on 2023-07-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (212)

cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:*:*:*:*:stable:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta1:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta2:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta3:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta4:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta5:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta6:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta6b:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta7:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.1.0:beta8:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta1:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta2:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta3:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta4:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta5:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta6:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta7:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta8:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.2.0:beta9:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta1:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta10:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta11:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta2:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta3:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta4:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta5:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta6:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta7:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta8:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.3.0:beta9:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta1:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta10:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta11:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta12:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta2:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta3:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta4:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta5:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta6:*:*:beta:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:discourse:discourse:1.4.0:beta7:*:*:beta:*:*:*

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