CVE-2022-36090

XWiki Platform Improper Authorization check for inactive users

Workarounds

There is no workaround for this other than upgrading XWiki.

References

• https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-19559

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

Some resources are missing a check for inactive (not yet activated or disabled) users in XWiki, including the REST service: so a disabled user can enable themselves using a REST call. On the same way some resources handler created by extensions are not protected by default: so an inactive users could perform actions for such extensions.

This issue exists since at least version 1.1 of XWiki for instance configured with the email activation required for new users. Now it's more critical for newer versions (>= 11.3RC1) since we provided the capability to disable user without deleting them, and we encouraged using that feature.

CVE-2022-36090 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (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 (13.10.5, 14.3-rc-1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

This issue has been patched in XWiki 14.3RC1 and XWiki 13.10.5.

1. What is CVE-2022-36090? CVE-2022-36090 is a high-severity security vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (maven), affecting versions >= 1.1, < 13.10.5. It is fixed in 13.10.5, 14.3-rc-1.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-36090? CVE-2022-36090 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (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-2022-36090? org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (maven) versions >= 1.1, < 13.10.5 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-36090? Yes. CVE-2022-36090 is fixed in 13.10.5, 14.3-rc-1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-36090 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-36090 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-2022-36090 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-2022-36090?
   • Upgrade org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore to 13.10.5 or later
   • Upgrade org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore to 14.3-rc-1 or later

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