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Critical

MantisBT: Reflected XSS in admin/install.php via unescaped printf

  • Disclosed: 15.07.2026
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

MantisBT 2.28.3 and earlier contains six reflected XSS injection points in /admin/install.php. User-supplied parameters are echoed into HTML without escaping via an unescaped printf format string. No authentication is required.

A Content Security Policy (script-src 'self') prevents inline JavaScript execution, but the CSP is missing a form-action directive, allowing exploitation via credential-phishing form injection and <meta> open redirects.

Impact

  • Credential phishing: Attacker crafts a URL that renders a fake login form on the real MantisBT admin page. Admin credentials are submitted to an attacker-controlled server.
  • Open redirect: Victim is silently redirected to a phishing or malware site.
  • UI manipulation: CSS injection can hide legitimate page content and overlay attacker-controlled HTML, enabling social engineering.

Patches

Workarounds

Remove the /admin directory, as recommended in the Admin Guide

Resources

Credits

McCaulay Hudson (@_McCaulay) of watchTowr

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
Composer package mantisbt/mantisbt < 2.28.4 2.28.4

References

CVSS score -
CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-79
Platform
Composer
Package
mantisbt/mantisbt
Disclosed
15.07.2026
Updated
11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-vcrw-4xvv-jh49 - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: mantisbt/mantisbt

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Composer package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (74) in the archive
Total entries
74
First → latest
04.2022 07.2026
Without a fix
2
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 4
  • High 20
  • Medium 49
  • Low 1

Disclosures per year

Severity:
  1. MantisBT: Stored XSS in print_all_bug_page_word.php
    High CVE-2026-62944 < 2.28.4 2.28.4
  2. MantisBT: Reflected XSS in admin/install.php via unescaped printf this entry
    Critical CVE-2026-52881 < 2.28.4 2.28.4
  3. MantisBT: Reflected XSS in admin/install.php
    Critical CVE-2026-52847 < 2.28.4 2.28.4
  4. MantisBT: Remote Code Execution via eval() Class Hoisting in adm_config_set.php
    High CVE-2026-49273 >= 1.3.0, < 2.28.4 2.28.4
  5. MantisBT: SOAP API Authentication Bypass with Privilege Escalation to Administrator
    Critical CVE-2026-47156 < 2.28.4 2.28.4
  6. MantisBT: SQL Injection via history_order Configuration Value
    High CVE-2026-47142 < 2.28.4 2.28.4
  7. MantisBT Vulnerable to Stored XSS in File Download
    High CVE-2026-44657 < 2.28.2 2.28.2
  8. MantisBT has Stored XSS on Move Attachments Admin Page
    High CVE-2026-44655 >= 1.3.0, < 2.28.2 2.28.2
  9. MantisBT has a Private Bugnote Attachment Content Leak via REST API
    High CVE-2026-42071 >= 2.23.0, < 2.28.2 2.28.2
  10. MantisBT is Vulnerable to Stored XSS in Saved-Filter Owner Column
    High CVE-2026-40607 >= 2.1.0, < 2.28.2 2.28.2
  11. MantisBT has a Content Security Policy bypass via attachments
    High CVE-2026-40597 < 2.28.2 2.28.2
  12. MantisBT is Vulnerable to XSS leading to account takeover via updating a user's font family preference
    High CVE-2026-40596 >= 2.11.0, < 2.28.2 2.28.2
  13. MantisBT is Vulnerable to Stored HTML Injection/XSS in Clone Issue Form
    High CVE-2026-34463 < 2.28.2 2.28.2
  14. MantisBT has Stored HTML Injection/XSS when displaying Tags in Timeline
    High · 6.1 CVE-2026-33548 >= 2.28.0, < 2.28.2 2.28.2
  15. MantisBT Vulnerable to Stored HTML Injection in Tag Delete Confirmation
    High CVE-2026-33517 >= 2.28.0, < 2.28.1 2.28.1
  16. MantisBT is vulnerable to authentication bypass through the SOAP API on MySQL
    Critical CVE-2026-30849 < 2.28.1 2.28.1
  17. MantisBT vulnerable to authentication bypass for some passwords due to PHP type juggling
    High · 9.1 CVE-2025-47776 < 2.27.2 2.27.2
  18. Mantis Bug Tracker (MantisBT) allows user account takeover in the signup/reset password process
    High · 7.3 CVE-2024-34077 < 2.26.2 2.26.2
  19. MantisBT Host Header Injection vulnerability
    High · 8.3 CVE-2024-23830 < 2.26.1 2.26.1
  20. MantisBT Incorrect Authorization for bug_revision_view_page.php check
    High · 7.5 CVE-2020-35849 < 2.24.4 2.24.4
  21. MantisBT Remote Code Execution
    High · 7.2 CVE-2019-15715 < 1.3.20, >= 2.0.0, < 2.22.1 1.3.20, 2.22.1
  22. MantisBT allows arbitrary password reset
    High · 8.8 CVE-2017-7615 >= 1.3.0-rc.2, < 1.3.10, >= 2.0.0, < 2.2.4, >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.1 1.3.10, 2.2.4, 2.3.1
  23. MantisBT Insufficient Session Expiration cookie string not reset after logout
    High · 8.1 CVE-2009-20001 < 2.24.5 2.24.5
  24. MantisBT CSV Injection unprivileged user access in csv_export.php
    High · 7.8 CVE-2021-43257 < 2.25.3 2.25.3

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