Summary
Using show_inline=1 parameter and a valid file_show_inline_token CSRF token on file_download.php, an attacker can execute code by uploading a crafted XHTML attachment referencing a JavaScript attachment.
Workarounds
None
Credits
Thanks to siunam (Tang Cheuk Hei) for discovering and responsibly reporting the issue.
Impact
Cross-site scripting
Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
- 26647b2e68ba30b9d7987d4e03d7a16416684bc2
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-44657? CVE-2026-44657 is a high-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in mantisbt/mantisbt (composer), affecting versions <= 2.28.1. It is fixed in 2.28.2. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
- Which versions of mantisbt/mantisbt are affected by CVE-2026-44657? mantisbt/mantisbt (composer) versions <= 2.28.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44657? Yes. CVE-2026-44657 is fixed in 2.28.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-44657 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44657 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-44657 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-44657? Upgrade
mantisbt/mantisbtto 2.28.2 or later.