# CVE-2020-25781: MantisBT unauthorized users able to access private files

> Attackers can bypass access controls to download private attachments from issue notes in MantisBT by directly accessing file download URLs.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 Sep 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xjmx-cprh-646r

## What is CVE-2020-25781?

CVE-2020-25781 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Mantisbt Mantisbt, published on 30 Sep 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An issue was discovered in file_download.php in MantisBT before 2.24.3. Users without access to view private issue notes are able to download the (supposedly private) attachments linked to these notes by accessing the corresponding file download URL directly.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-25781?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including mantisbt/mantisbt. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `mantisbt/mantisbt` | Packagist | All versions | 2.24.3 |
| `mantisbt/mantisbt` | Packagist | All versions | 2.24.3 |

Products: Mantisbt Mantisbt.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-25781?

Upgrade mantisbt/mantisbt to 2.24.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2020-25781 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-25781 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Mantisbt Mantisbt

- [CVE-2019-15074](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15074/): MantisBT allows cross-site scripting (XSS) via crafted filename (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2026-30849](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-30849/): MantisBT SOAP API has an authentication bypass vulnerability on MySQL (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2025-47776](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-47776/): MantisBT: Authentication bypass for some passwords due to PHP type juggling (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-7615](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7615/): MantisBT allows arbitrary password reset (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-33517](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33517/): MantisBT Vulnerable to Stored HTML Injection in Tag Delete Confirmation (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-25781 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-25781 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Mantisbt Mantisbt, published on 30 Sep 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-25781 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- mantisbt/mantisbt (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 2.24.3
- mantisbt/mantisbt (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 2.24.3

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-25781/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-25781/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-25781
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-25781
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-25781

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-25781/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.