Auth bypass in Discourse
CVE-2025-69289
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. A privilege escalation vulnerability in versions prior to 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0 allows a non-admin moderator to bypass email-change restrictions, allowing a takeover of non-staff accounts. This issue is patched in versions 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0. As a workaround, ensure moderators are trusted or enable the "require_change_email_confirmation" setting.
Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control
EPSS: 0.002 (5.9th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 5.4 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
Affected products
- Discourse — versions >= 2026.1.0-latest, < 2026.1.0, >= 2025.12.0-latest, < 2025.12.1, < 3.5.4
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_CONFIRM, Third Party Advisory, Mitigation)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2025-69289?
- CVE-2025-69289 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Discourse, classified under Incorrect Authorization. CVSS score: 5.4/10. Published 2026-01-28.
- How severe is CVE-2025-69289?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.4 out of 10.