CVE-2023-45816: Discourse is an open source platform for community discussion. Prior to version 3.1.3 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta3 of the `beta` and...

Description

Discourse is an open source platform for community discussion. Prior to version 3.1.3 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta3 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches, there is an edge case where a bookmark reminder is sent and an unread notification is generated, but the underlying bookmarkable (e.g. post, topic, chat message) security has changed, making it so the user can no longer access the underlying resource. As of version 3.1.3 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta3 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches, bookmark reminders are now no longer sent if the user does not have access to the underlying bookmarkable, and also the unread bookmark notifications are always filtered by access. There are no known workarounds.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

3.3/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.26%

17.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-200

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Discourse	Discourse	< 3.1.3	—
Discourse	Discourse	< 3.2.0	—
Discourse	Discourse	3.2.0	Beta1

References

Timeline

Published: Nov 10, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-45816?

Discourse is an open source platform for community discussion. Prior to version 3.1.3 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta3 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches, there is an edge case where a bookmark reminder is sent and an unread notification is generated, but the underlying bookmarkable (e.g. post, topic, chat message) security has changed, making it so the user can no longer access the underlying resource. As of version 3.1.3 of the `stable` branch and version 3.2.0.beta3 of the `beta` and `tests-passed` branches, bookmark reminders are now no longer sent if the user does not have access to the underlying bookmarkable, and also the unread bookmark notifications are always filtered by access. There are no known workarounds.

How severe is CVE-2023-45816?

CVE-2023-45816 has a CVSS score of 3.3/10 (LOW severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.26% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-45816?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.