CVE-2021-43793 : Security Advisory and Response

Discourse is an open source discussion platform where a vulnerability in the Polls feature allowed users to bypass voting limits. Learn about the impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-43793.

Understanding CVE-2021-43793

Discourse experienced a vulnerability that enabled users to cast multiple votes in single-option polls, affecting specific versions of the platform.

What is CVE-2021-43793?

In the affected versions of Discourse, users could exploit a flaw in the Polls feature to vote multiple times in a single-choice poll, potentially skewing results.

The Impact of CVE-2021-43793

The vulnerability posed a medium severity threat with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3, allowing for low-integrity impact and privilege escalation due to improper privilege management.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-43793

Explore the specifics of the vulnerability in Discourse and its implications.

Vulnerability Description

The issue in Discourse's Polls feature enabled users to circumvent voting restrictions, potentially compromising the integrity of poll results.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vulnerable versions include stable versions below 2.7.11 and tests-passed versions below 2.8.0.beta9.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the steps to address and prevent vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-43793.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Discourse to the latest stable version 2.7.11 or tests-passed version 2.8.0.beta9 to patch the vulnerability.
Monitor user activity in polling features to detect any suspicious behavior.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly audit and update permissions settings to prevent privilege escalation.
Educate users on responsible voting behavior in polling features.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and releases from Discourse to apply timely patches and updates.