Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
MantisBT before 2.28.2 lets a lower-privileged updater modify other users' bugnotes through the issue update API. This can change note content, visibility, and time tracking, undermining integrity of issue records. It requires an authenticated user with update permission, so urgency is moderate unless MantisBT supports sensitive workflow evidence.
Executive priority
Treat as a moderate integrity risk. Prioritize upgrades for MantisBT systems used for customer support, security tracking, compliance evidence, or time accounting because trusted issue history can be altered by lower-privileged authenticated users.
Technical view
The mc_issue_update() function allowed users meeting update_bug_threshold, UPDATER by default, to edit bugnotes owned by others. This bypassed the higher default DEVELOPER threshold enforced by mc_issue_note_update(). The issue is CWE-863 authorization bypass and is fixed in MantisBT 2.28.2.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to MantisBT deployments before 2.28.2 where authenticated users have update_bug_threshold access and can reach the issue update API. Internet exposure increases attack surface, but the vulnerability still requires valid low-privileged credentials.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or public active exploitation evidence. Exploitation would be insider-like or credential-based: an authenticated updater could tamper with another user's bugnotes without the normal authorization level.
Researcher notes
The important authorization mismatch is between mc_issue_update() and mc_issue_note_update(). Focus validation on permission boundaries around bugnote ownership, view state, and time tracking. Do not assume unauthenticated exploitation; the CVSS vector requires low privileges.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade MantisBT to version 2.28.2 or later.
- Review the MantisBT GitHub advisory for vendor guidance.
- Restrict updater-level access to trusted users until upgraded.
- Limit API access where operationally feasible before remediation.
- Monitor bugnote edits, visibility changes, and time tracking changes by non-owners.
Validation and detection
- Inventory all MantisBT instances and record installed versions.
- Confirm no production instance runs a version earlier than 2.28.2.
- Review users or groups with update_bug_threshold-level access.
- Check whether issue update API access is exposed beyond trusted networks.
- After upgrading, verify bugnote edit permissions follow the intended threshold.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-863: Authorization and privilege behavior lookup
Authorization weaknesses can support privilege escalation and valid-account review, depending on exploit path. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-42070 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.3 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——GitHub_MVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
5.3MediumVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/mantisbt/mantisbt/security/advisories/GHSA-pq86-j2c2-47f6CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/mantisbt/mantisbt/commit/6e58fae4f22efdc3987f903c8ba2611de17a9435CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
- https://mantisbt.org/bugs/view.php?id=37089CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
- https://mantisbt.org/bugs/view.php?id=37093CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Incorrect Authorization
Incorrect Authorization represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.