CVE-2025-46557: Any user with view access to the XWiki space can change the authenticator
Impact
A user who can access pages located in the XWiki space (by default, anyone) can access the page XWiki.Authentication.Administration and (unless an authenticator is set in xwiki.cfg) switch to another installed authenticator.
Note that, by default, there is only one authenticator available (Standard XWiki Authenticator). So, if no authenticator extension was installed, it's not really possible to do anything for an attacker.
Also, in most cases, if you have installed and are using an SSO authenticator (like OIDC or LDAP for example), the worst an attacker can do is break authentication by switching back to the standard authenticator (that's because it's impossible to login to a user which does not have a stored password, and that's usually what SSO authenticator produce).
Patches
This has been patched in XWiki 15.10.9 and XWiki 16.3.0RC1.
Workarounds
You can very easily fix this vulnerability in your instance through right configuration: access the page and children right administration of the page XWiki.Authentication (https://myhost/xwiki/bin/admin/XWiki/Authentication/WebPreferences?editor=spaceadmin§ion=PageAndChildrenRights&space=XWiki.Authentication#|t=usersandgroupstable&p=1&l=10&uorg=groups&wiki=local&clsname=XWiki.XWikiGlobalRights) make sure only admin user have the VIEW right
References
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-22604 https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/5efc31cea1501c9a5cb593566fea8b558ff32a2a
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: Open an issue in Jira XWiki.org Email us at Security Mailing List
Other sources
XWiki is a generic wiki platform. In versions starting from 15.3-rc-1 to before 15.10.14, from 16.0.0-rc-1 to before 16.4.6, and from 16.5.0-rc-1 to before 16.10.0-rc-1, a user who can access pages located in the XWiki space (by default, anyone) can access the page XWiki.Authentication.Administration and (unless an authenticator is set in xwiki.cfg) switch to another installed authenticator. Note that, by default, there is only one authenticator available (Standard XWiki Authenticator). So, if no authenticator extension was installed, it's not really possible to do anything for an attacker. Also, in most cases, if an SSO authenticator is installed and utilized (like OIDC or LDAP for example), the worst an attacker can do is break authentication by switching back to the standard authenticator (that's because it's impossible to login to a user which does not have a stored password, and that's usually what SSO authenticator produce). This issue has been patched in versions 15.10.14, 16.4.6, and 16.10.0-rc-1.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-46557?
CVE-2025-46557 has a high severity due to unauthorized access to the authentication administration page.
How do I fix CVE-2025-46557?
To fix CVE-2025-46557, update to version 16.10.0-rc-1, 16.4.6, or 15.10.14 of the affected XWiki package.
Who is affected by CVE-2025-46557?
Any user who can access XWiki pages is potentially affected by CVE-2025-46557.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2025-46557?
CVE-2025-46557 is an authentication bypass vulnerability that can allow unauthorized access to sensitive settings.
What software does CVE-2025-46557 affect?
CVE-2025-46557 affects the XWiki platform, specifically the security authentication user interface packages.