CVE-2022-28508 — mantisbt
MEDIUMCVE-2022-28508 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in mantisbt/mantisbt. 3 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. The records list no fixed version yet; check the vendor advisory below and apply the mitigations in the meantime.
MantisBT vulnerable to XSS via unescaped output in browser_search_plugin.php
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
mantisbt/mantisbtReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
An XSS issue was discovered in browser_search_plugin.php in MantisBT up to and including 2.25.2. Unescaped output of the return parameter allows an attacker to inject code into a hidden input field.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | mantisbt/mantisbt | all versions | No fix |
Affected Products
mantisbtmantisbtResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for mantisbt/mantisbt, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
The records we use list no patched version of mantisbt/mantisbt for CVE-2022-28508. Check the maintainer's advisory, and where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range.
Mitigate without a patch
Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.
How to detect CVE-2022-28508
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id cve-2022-28508 -u https://target- Template
- MantisBT < 2.25.2 - Cross-Site Scripting
- Severity
- medium
- Impact
- Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of a victim's browser,potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or phishing attacks.
- Remediation
- Upgrade to MantisBT version 2.25.2 or later which contains the fix for this vulnerability.If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict access to the browser_search_plugin.php endpoint.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (ritikchaddha), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-28508 in your dependencies?
Find it across Packagist, including transitive dependencies.