CVE-2020-15252

RCE in XWiki

Workarounds

The only workaround is to give SCRIPT right only to trusted users.

References

https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-17423

It's been reported by the GitHub Security Lab under https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-17141.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Open an issue in Jira XWiki
• Email us at our security mailing list

Any user with SCRIPT right (EDIT right before XWiki 7.4) can gain access to the application server Servlet context which contains tools allowing to instantiate arbitrary Java objects and invoke methods that may lead to arbitrary code execution.

Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment. Typical impact: arbitrary code execution within the application's privilege context.

CVE-2020-15252 has a CVSS score of 8.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (11.10.6, 12.5); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

It has been patched in both version XWiki 12.5 and XWiki 11.10.6.

1. What is CVE-2020-15252? CVE-2020-15252 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (maven), affecting versions < 11.10.6. It is fixed in 11.10.6, 12.5. Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment.
2. How severe is CVE-2020-15252? CVE-2020-15252 has a CVSS score of 8.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore are affected by CVE-2020-15252? org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (maven) versions < 11.10.6 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2020-15252? Yes. CVE-2020-15252 is fixed in 11.10.6, 12.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2020-15252 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-15252 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2020-15252 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2020-15252?
   • Upgrade org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore to 11.10.6 or later
   • Upgrade org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore to 12.5 or later

Other vulnerabilities in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore