CVE-2023-53977VulnerabilityPublished 22 Dec 2025Updated 30 Dec 2025

CVE-2023-53977: myBB forums · Cross-site Scripting

Affects myBB forumsSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.1 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

5.1Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 14% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Passive
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: Low
Subsequent system integrity: Low
Subsequent system availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker requires privileges that provide basic capabilities that are typically limited to settings and resources owned by a single low-privileged user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges has the ability to access only non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: Passive: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires limited interaction by the targeted user with the vulnerable system and the attacker’s payload. These interactions would be considered involuntary and do not require that the user actively subvert protections built into the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the Subsequent System.
Subsequent system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Subsequent System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 22 Dec 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Mybb myBB forums	Affected =1.8.26	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2023-53977, European organizations should first verify if they are running myBB Forums version 1.8.26. If so, immediate steps include restricting administrator access to trusted personnel and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication to prevent account compromise. Administrators should be trained to avoid entering untrusted input in forum titles and to review new forums for suspicious content. Implementing web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block XSS payloads in forum management requests can provide additional protection. Organizations should monitor vendor communications for official patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. In the interim, consider sanitizing or encoding user input fields in the forum management interface through custom code changes or plugins. Regularly audit forum content for injected scripts and remove any malicious entries. Logging and alerting on unusual administrator activities can help detect exploitation attempts early. Finally, educate forum users about the risks of clicking suspicious links or executing unexpected scripts.

Description

myBB Forums 1.8.26 contains a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the forum management system that allows authenticated administrators to inject malicious scripts when creating new forums. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by inserting script payloads in the forum title field when adding new forums through the 'Forums and Posts' > 'Forum Management' interface, causing arbitrary JavaScript to execute when the forum listing is viewed.

Impact

For European organizations using myBB Forums 1.8.26, this vulnerability poses a risk of stored XSS attacks that can compromise user accounts, steal session cookies, or manipulate forum content. This can lead to unauthorized access, data leakage, and reputational damage, especially for forums handling sensitive discussions or personal data. The impact on confidentiality and integrity is moderate, as attackers can execute arbitrary scripts in users' browsers. Availability impact is minimal since the vulnerability does not directly disrupt forum operations. However, successful exploitation could facilitate further attacks such as phishing or malware distribution. Organizations relying on myBB forums for community engagement or customer support may face trust erosion if users are targeted. Given the requirement for administrator privileges to inject malicious code, insider threats or compromised admin accounts increase risk. European entities with active online communities or customer forums are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and subsequent data breaches or fraud.

References

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