Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2026.3.0-latest.1, 2026.2.1, and 2026.1.2 have two authorization issues in the chat direct message API. First, when creating a direct message channel or adding users to an existing one, the `target_groups` parameter was passed directly to the user resolution query without checking group or member visibility for the acting user. An authenticated chat user could craft an API request with a known private/hidden group name and receive a channel containing that group's members, leaking their identities. Second, `can_chat?` only checked group membership, not the `chat_enabled` user preference. A chat-disabled user could create or query DM channels between other users via the direct messages API, potentially exposing private `last_message` content from the serialized channel response. Versions 2026.3.0-latest.1, 2026.2.1, and 2026.1.2 contain a patch. No known workarounds are available.
This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.4, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts limited data confidentiality, limited integrity, for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from discourse organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2026, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2026-03-19T22:16:42.827
2026-03-24T20:54:31.467
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 5.4 (MEDIUM)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | discourse | discourse | < 2026.1.2 | Yes |
| Application | discourse | discourse | < 2026.2.1 | Yes |
| Application | discourse | discourse | 2026.3.0 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For discourse's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.