CVE-2023-46731: Remote code execution through the section parameter in Administration as guest in XWiki Platform
Impact XWiki doesn't properly escape the section URL parameter that is used in the code for displaying administration sections. This allows any user with read access to the document XWiki.AdminSheet (by default, everyone including unauthenticated users) to execute code including Groovy code. This impacts the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki instance.
By opening the URL <server>/xwiki/bin/get/Main/WebHome?sheet=XWiki.AdminSheet&viewer=content§ion=%5D%5D%7B%7B%2Fhtml%7D%7D%7B%7Basync%7D%7D%7B%7Bgroovy%7D%7Dservices.logging.getLogger(%22attacker%22).error(%22Attack%20succeeded!%22)%7B%7B%2Fgroovy%7D%7D%7B%7B%2Fasync%7D%7D&xpage=view where <server> is the URL of the XWiki installation, it can be tested if an XWiki installation is vulnerable. If this causes a log message ERROR attacker - Attack succeeded! to appear in XWiki's log, the installation is vulnerable. In very old versions of XWiki, the attack can be demonstrated with <server>/xwiki/bin/get/XWiki/XWikiPreferences?section=%3C%25println(%22Hello%20from%20Groovy%22)%25%3E&xpage=view which displays admin.hello from groovy as title when the attack succeeds (tested on XWiki 1.7).
Patches This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.14, 15.6 RC1 and 15.5.1.
Workarounds The fix, which consists of replacing = $services.localization.render("administration.sectionTitle$level", [$sectionName]) = by = $services.localization.render("administration.sectionTitle$level", 'xwiki/2.1', [$sectionName]) =, can be applied manually to the document XWiki.AdminSheet.
References https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21110 https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/fec8e0e53f9fa2c3f1e568cc15b0e972727c803a
Other sources
XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform offering runtime services for applications built on top of it. XWiki doesn't properly escape the section URL parameter that is used in the code for displaying administration sections. This allows any user with read access to the document XWiki.AdminSheet (by default, everyone including unauthenticated users) to execute code including Groovy code. This impacts the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki instance. This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.14, 15.6 RC1 and 15.5.1. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unablr to upgrade may apply the fix in commit fec8e0e53f9 manually. Alternatively, to protect against attacks from unauthenticated users, view right for guests can be removed from this document (it is only needed for space and wiki admins).
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the vulnerability ID?
The vulnerability ID is CVE-2023-46731.
What is the impact of the vulnerability?
The vulnerability allows any user with read access to execute code, including Groovy code.
What is the severity of the vulnerability?
The severity of the vulnerability is critical, with a severity score of 10.
Which software is affected by the vulnerability?
The XWiki Platform Administration and XWiki Platform Administration UI are affected by the vulnerability.
How can the vulnerability be fixed?
The vulnerability can be fixed by updating to XWiki Platform Administration version 14.10.14 and XWiki Platform Administration UI version 15.5.1, or higher.