XSS in Discourse

CVE-2026-27740

Discourse is an open-source discussion platform. Versions prior to 2026.3.0-latest.1, 2026.2.1, and 2026.1.2 have a cross-site scripting vulnerability that arises because the system trusts the raw output from an AI Large Language Model (LLM) and renders it using htmlSafe in the Review Queue interface without adequate sanitization. A malicious attacker can use valid Prompt Injection techniques to force the AI to return a malicious payload (e.g., tags). When a Staff member (Admin/Moderator) views the flagged post in the Review Queue, the payload executes. Versions 2026.3.0-latest.1, 2026.2.1, and 2026.1.2 contain a patch. As a workaround, temporarily disable AI triage automation scripts.

Vulnerability class: XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)

Published · last modified .

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 6.1 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.003 (25.7th percentile), scored .

Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 26th percentile — 25.7% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS trend (30 days)EPSS over the last 30 days for CVE-2026-27740: held from 0.003 to 0.003.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.003 · newest: 0.003 · change: +0.000

Affected products

  • Discourse — versions = 2026.3.0-latest, >= 2026.2.0-latest, < 2026.2.1, >= 2026.1.0-latest, < 2026.1.2

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-27740?
CVE-2026-27740 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Discourse, classified under Cross-site Scripting. CVSS score: 6.1/10. Published 2026-03-19.
How severe is CVE-2026-27740?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.1 out of 10.