Discourse < 2026.2.0: Auth Escal via Topic Status Bypass
CVE-2026-28219 Published on February 26, 2026
Privilege Escalation via Mass Assignment Allows Regular Users to Set Topics as Global Banners
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. Prior to versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0, an improper authorization check in the topic management logic allows authenticated users to modify privileged attributes of their topics. By manipulating specific parameters in a PUT or POST request, a regular user can elevate a topics status to a site-wide notice or banner, bypassing intended administrative restrictions. Versions 2025.12.2, 2026.1.1, and 2026.2.0 patch the issue. There are no practical workarounds to prevent this behavior other than applying the security patch. Administrators concerned about unauthorized promotions should audit recent changes to site banners and global notices until the fix is deployed.
Weakness Type
What is a Mass Assignment Vulnerability?
The software receives input from an upstream component that specifies multiple attributes, properties, or fields that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control which attributes can be modified.
CVE-2026-28219 has been classified to as a Mass Assignment vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-28219
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Affected Versions
discourse:- Version < 2025.12.2 is affected.
- Version >= 2026.1.0-latest, < 2026.1.1 is affected.
- Version >= 2026.2.0-latest, < 2026.2.0 is affected.
Exploit Probability
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.