# CVE-2023-49098: Reaction data for user notifications exposed in Discourse-reactions

> Attackers can access private reaction notification data for users in the Discourse-reactions plugin, compromising user privacy.

- **Severity:** Low 3.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Jan 2024
- **Updated:** 3 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mq82-7v5x-rhv8

## What is CVE-2023-49098?

CVE-2023-49098 is a low-severity vulnerability in discourse-reactions, published on 12 Jan 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Discourse-reactions is a plugin that allows user to add their reactions to the post. Data about a user's reaction notifications could be exposed. This vulnerability was patched in commit 2c26939.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-49098?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Discourse Discourse Reactions.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-49098?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-49098 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-49098 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-49098 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in discourse-reactions

- [CVE-2021-41140](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41140/): Reactions leak for secure category topics and private messages (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-49098 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-49098 is a low-severity vulnerability in discourse-reactions, published on 12 Jan 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-49098 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: discourse-reactions. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2023-49098/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-49098/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-49098
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-49098
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-49098

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-49098/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.