CVE-2026-39960: MantisBT 2.28.1 & below XSS via textarea custom field
CVE-2026-39960 Published on May 20, 2026
MantisBT is Vulnerable to Stored XSS through Custom Field Textarea Values
Mantis Bug Tracker (MantisBT) is an open source issue tracker. Versions 2.28.1 and below contain flawed logic that causes improper escaping of a textarea custom field's contents in the Update Issue page, (bug_update_page.php) allowing an attacker to inject HTML and, if CSP settings permit, execute arbitrary JavaScript when the page is loaded. This facilitates session theft, leading to admin account takeover, full project data access. In order to exploit this issue, a textarea-type custom field must be configured for the project, the attack must be carried out by an authenticated user with bug report permission (low privilege). This can affect any user viewing the bug edit form, including administrators. The issue has been fixed in version 2.28.2. If users cannot immediately upgrade, they can work around the issue by using the default Content-Security Policy, which blocks script execution.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-39960 is exploitable with network access, requires user interaction and a small amount of user privileges. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have a small impact on confidentiality and integrity, and no impact on availability.
Weakness Type
What is a XSS Vulnerability?
The software does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.
CVE-2026-39960 has been classified to as a XSS vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-39960
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Affected Versions
mantisbt Version < 2.28.2 is affected by CVE-2026-39960Exploit 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.