---
id: CVE-2026-55493
title: 'HotCRP: comment-author search exposes anonymous commenter identities'
summary: >-
  HotCRP is conference review software. Starting with 2.101, the `cmt:` search
  term checks whether a comment is visible to the searching user but fails to
  check whether the commenter's identity should be visible. A `cmt:USER` search
  can th…
severity: medium
cvss: 6.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-863
vendor: kohler
product: hotcrp
affected:
  - 'hotcrp >= 2.101, < 3.3'
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-05T02:32:28.394878Z'
published: '2026-10-30'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T02:32:39.096Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-55493'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/kohler/hotcrp/security/advisories/GHSA-x3g6-4c5h-7p29'
    label: 'https://github.com/kohler/hotcrp/security/advisories/GHSA-x3g6-4c5h-7p29'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/kohler/hotcrp/commit/c4b008e756650db3063e8dd8300127936aae9ec1
    label: >-
      https://github.com/kohler/hotcrp/commit/c4b008e756650db3063e8dd8300127936aae9ec1
  - url: 'https://github.com/kohler/hotcrp/releases/tag/v3.3'
    label: 'https://github.com/kohler/hotcrp/releases/tag/v3.3'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.003
epssPercentile: 0.22913
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T21:36:00.699Z'
---

## Overview

HotCRP is conference review software. Starting with 2.101, the `cmt:` search term checks whether a comment is visible to the searching user but fails to check whether the commenter's identity should be visible. A `cmt:USER` search can therefore match a paper with a visible comment authored by USER even when the comment is supposed to be anonymous. An authenticated user with access to the search can infer the author of an anonymous comment, compromising reviewer anonymity. Comments that the user cannot see remain excluded from search results. The advisory prose identifies 3.3 as fixed, its affected-version metadata excludes 3.3, and the verified repository tag 3.3 already contains the identity-check fix; however, its patched-version metadata instead lists 3.3.1. This fixed-version source conflict remains unresolved.

## Affected

- `hotcrp >= 2.101, < 3.3`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.