How severe is CVE-2023-41042?

CVE-2023-41042 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-41042 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-41042?

CVE-2023-41042 primarily affects Discourse. In total, 214 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-41042?

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

When was CVE-2023-41042 published?

CVE-2023-41042 was published on 2023-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-41042

CVE-2023-41042 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Discourse with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9. 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 4.9)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-770
Affected product: Discourse
Published: 2023-09-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.1.1 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta1 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches, importing a remote theme loads their assets into memory without enforcing limits for file size or number of files. The issue is patched in version 3.1.1 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta1 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches. There are no known workarounds.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-41042?: Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Prior to version 3.1.1 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta1 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches, importing a remote theme loads their assets into memory without enforcing limits for file size or number of files. The issue is patched in version 3.1.1 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta1 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches. There are no known workarounds.
How severe is CVE-2023-41042?: CVE-2023-41042 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-41042 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-41042?: CVE-2023-41042 primarily affects Discourse. In total, 214 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-41042?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-41042 published?: CVE-2023-41042 was published on 2023-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-2fq5-x3mm-v254

Affected products (214)

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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