CVE-2026-23963
CVE-2026-23963 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Joinmastodon Mastodon 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: 0% (21st percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-4209
- Weakness: CWE-770
- Affected product: Joinmastodon Mastodon
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. Prior to versions 4.5.5, 4.4.12, and 4.3.18, the server does not enforce a maximum length for the names of lists or filters, or for filter keywords, allowing any user to set an arbitrarily long string as the name or keyword. Any local user can abuse the list or filter fields to cause disproportionate storage and computing resource usage. They can additionally cause their own web interface to be unusable, although they must intentionally do this to themselves or unknowingly approve a malicious API client. Mastodon versions v4.5.5, v4.4.12, v4.3.18 are patched.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-23963?
- Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. Prior to versions 4.5.5, 4.4.12, and 4.3.18, the server does not enforce a maximum length for the names of lists or filters, or for filter keywords, allowing any user to set an arbitrarily long string as the name or keyword. Any local user can abuse the list or filter fields to cause disproportionate storage and computing resource usage. They can additionally cause their own web interface to be unusable, although they must intentionally do this to themselves or unknowingly approve a malicious API client. Mastodon versions v4.5.5, v4.4.12, v4.3.18 are patched.
- How severe is CVE-2026-23963?
- CVE-2026-23963 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-2026-23963 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (21st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2026-23963?
- CVE-2026-23963 affects Joinmastodon Mastodon. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-23963?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
- Does CVE-2026-23963 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2026-23963 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-4209.
- When was CVE-2026-23963 published?
- CVE-2026-23963 was published on 2026-01-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/releases/tag/v4.3.18
- https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/releases/tag/v4.4.12
- https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/releases/tag/v4.5.5
- https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/security/advisories/GHSA-6x3w-9g92-gvf3
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:joinmastodon:mastodon:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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