Summary
XWiki Platform Web Templates vulnerable to Unauthorized User Registration Through the Distribution Wizard
Workarounds
It is possible to replace xpart.vm, the entry point for this attack, by a patched version from the patch without updating XWiki.
References
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
Impact
By passing a template of the distribution wizard to the xpart template, user accounts can be created even when user registration is disabled. This also circumvents any email verification. Before versions 14.2 and 13.10.4, this can also be exploited on a private wiki, thus potentially giving the attacker access to the wiki. Depending on the configured default rights of users, this could also give attackers write access to an otherwise read-only public wiki. Users can also be created when an external authentication system like LDAP is configured, but authentication fails unless the authentication system supports a bypass/local accounts are enabled in addition to the external authentication system.
The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access. Typical impact: unauthorized access to functions or data reserved for authenticated parties.
CVE-2022-36093 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 (13.10.5, 14.3-rc-1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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This issue has been patched in XWiki 13.10.5 and 14.3RC1.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-36093? CVE-2022-36093 is a high-severity improper authentication vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates (maven), affecting versions < 13.10.5. It is fixed in 13.10.5, 14.3-rc-1. The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access.
- How severe is CVE-2022-36093? CVE-2022-36093 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.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2022-36093?
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates(maven) (versions < 13.10.5)org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web(maven) (versions >= 8.0-rc-1, < 13.10.5)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-36093? Yes. CVE-2022-36093 is fixed in 13.10.5, 14.3-rc-1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-36093 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-36093 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2022-36093 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2022-36093?
- Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templatesto 13.10.5 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-webto 13.10.5 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templatesto 14.3-rc-1 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-webto 14.3-rc-1 or later
- Upgrade