CVE-2025-68933: Discourse non-admin moderators can exfiltrate private content via post ownership transfer
Discourse is an open source discussion platform. In versions prior to 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0, non-admin moderators with the moderatorschangepostownership setting enabled can change ownership of posts in private messages and restricted categories they cannot access, then export their data to view the content. This is a broken access control vulnerability affecting sites that grant moderators post ownership transfer permissions. This issue is patched in versions 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0. The patch adds visibility checks for both the topic and posts before allowing ownership transfer. As a workaround, disable the moderatorschangepostownership site setting to prevent non-admin moderators from using the post ownership transfer feature.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-68933?
CVE-2025-68933 is classified as a high severity vulnerability due to the risk of unauthorized access to private content by non-admin moderators.
How do I fix CVE-2025-68933?
To remediate CVE-2025-68933, upgrade to Discourse versions 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, or 2026.1.0 or disable the 'moderators_change_post_ownership' setting.
Who is affected by CVE-2025-68933?
CVE-2025-68933 affects non-admin moderators in Discourse installations prior to the specified fixed versions.
What does CVE-2025-68933 exploit?
CVE-2025-68933 exploits the ability of non-admin moderators to change post ownership, allowing them to exfiltrate private content.
What is the impact of CVE-2025-68933?
The impact of CVE-2025-68933 includes potential unauthorized access and disclosure of sensitive private content within Discourse.