Description
MediaWiki before 1.27.4, 1.28.x before 1.28.3, and 1.29.x before 1.29.2, when a private wiki is configured, provides different error messages for failed login attempts depending on whether the username exists, which allows remote attackers to enumerate account names and conduct brute-force attacks via a series of requests.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | MediaWiki before 1.27.4, 1.28.x before 1.28.3, and 1.29.x before 1.29.2 | MediaWiki before 1.27.4, 1.28.x before 1.28.3, and 1.29.x before 1.29.2 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | mediawiki | 1:1.27.4-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | mediawiki | 1:1.27.4-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | mediawiki | 1:1.27.4-1 | — |
| Debian 9 | mediawiki | 1:1.27.4-1~deb9u1 | DSA-4036-1 |
Advisories 1
- DSA-4036-1 mediawiki - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- 1039812 vdb-entry
- https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-announce/2017-November/000216.html
- DSA-4036 vendor-advisory