Discourse DoS via Unrestricted /uploads Endpoint
CVE-2024-24827 Published on March 15, 2024

No rate limits on POST /uploads endpoint in Discourse
Discourse is an open source platform for community discussion. Without a rate limit on the POST /uploads endpoint, it makes it easier for an attacker to carry out a DoS attack on the server since creating an upload can be a resource intensive process. Do note that the impact varies from site to site as various site settings like `max_image_size_kb`, `max_attachment_size_kb` and `max_image_megapixels` will determine the amount of resources used when creating an upload. The issue is patched in the latest stable, beta and tests-passed version of Discourse. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should reduce `max_image_size_kb`, `max_attachment_size_kb` and `max_image_megapixels` as smaller uploads require less resources to process. Alternatively, `client_max_body_size` can be reduced in Nginx to prevent large uploads from reaching the server.

NVD

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2024-24827 can be exploited with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality and integrity, and a small impact on availability.

Attack Vector:
NETWORK
Attack Complexity:
LOW
Privileges Required:
NONE
User Interaction:
NONE
Scope:
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact:
NONE
Integrity Impact:
NONE
Availability Impact:
LOW

Weakness Type

What is a Resource Exhaustion Vulnerability?

The software does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource, thereby enabling an actor to influence the amount of resources consumed, eventually leading to the exhaustion of available resources.

CVE-2024-24827 has been classified to as a Resource Exhaustion vulnerability or weakness.


Products Associated with CVE-2024-24827

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Affected Versions

discourse: discourse:

Exploit Probability

EPSS
0.06%
Percentile
19.37%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.