Is Discourse affected by CVE-2026-28218?

Organizations using Discourse should be aware of moderate risk from CVE-2026-28218, a improper access control vulnerability rated CVSS 5.4. Exploitation could compromise the security of affected deployments. Organizations should apply vendor updates when available and monitor for exploitation.

CVE-2026-28218

MEDIUM

2026-02-26 [email protected]

5.4

CVSS 3.1

CVSS Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

Low

Integrity

Low

Availability

None

Lifecycle Timeline

Analysis Generated

Mar 12, 2026 - 21:56 vuln.today

CVE Published

Feb 26, 2026 - 22:20 nvd

MEDIUM 5.4

Description

Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Prior to versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0, fail-open access control in Data Explorer plugin allows any authenticated user to execute SQL queries that have no explicit group assignments, including built-in system queries. Versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 patch the issue. As a workaround, either explicitly set group permissions on each Data Explorer query that doesn't have permissions, or disable discourse-data-explorer plugin.

Analysis

The Data Explorer plugin in Discourse prior to versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 fails to properly enforce access controls, allowing any authenticated user to execute arbitrary SQL queries against unprotected queries, including system-level queries. This affects all installations with the Data Explorer plugin enabled and permits authenticated attackers to access or modify sensitive data without proper authorization. …

Remediation

Within 30 days: Identify affected systems and apply vendor patches as part of regular patch cycle. Monitor vendor channels for patch availability.

Analysis

Detailed AI-generated intelligence summary covering attack vector, impact assessment, affected versions, remediation steps, and indicators of compromise.

POChttps://••••••••••.com/exploit

PATCHhttps://••••••••••.com/patch

ADVISORYhttps://••••••••••.com/advisory

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Get intelligence summaries, risk assessment, exploit details, threat intel, and remediation guidance.

Priority Score

Low Medium High Critical

KEV: 0

EPSS: +0.0

CVSS: +27

POC: 0

CVE-2026-28218 vulnerability details – vuln.today

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CVE-2026-28218

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CVE-2026-28218

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