Summary
XWiki Platform vulnerable to code injection in display method used in user profiles
Workarounds
There is no workaround apart from upgrading.
References
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20327
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/0d547181389f7941e53291af940966413823f61c
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
Any user who can edit their own user profile can execute arbitrary script macros including Groovy and Python macros that allow remote code execution including unrestricted read and write access to all wiki contents. The following syntax, to be put, e.g., in the about section of the user profile, demonstrates a proof of concept:
{{html wiki="true"}}~{~{~/~h~t~m~l~}~}~ ~{~{~c~a~c~h~e~}~}~{~{~g~r~o~o~v~y~}~}~p~r~i~n~t~l~n~(~1~)~{~{~/~g~r~o~o~v~y~}~}~{~{~/~c~a~c~h~e~}~}~{{/html}}
While it would be expected that the above code is displayed just without the ~, in fact just "1" is displayed, followed by a lot of raw HTML code. The same vulnerability can also be exploited in other contexts where the display method on a document is used to display a field with wiki syntax, for example in applications created using App Within Minutes.
CVE-2023-29523 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (Critical). 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 (13.10.11, 14.4.8, 14.10.2); 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 has been patched in XWiki 13.10.11, 14.4.8, 14.10.2 and 15.0RC1.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-29523? CVE-2023-29523 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (maven), affecting versions >= 3.3-milestone-1, < 13.10.11. It is fixed in 13.10.11, 14.4.8, 14.10.2.
- How severe is CVE-2023-29523? CVE-2023-29523 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (Critical). 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 versions of org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore are affected by CVE-2023-29523? org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (maven) versions >= 3.3-milestone-1, < 13.10.11 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-29523? Yes. CVE-2023-29523 is fixed in 13.10.11, 14.4.8, 14.10.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-29523 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-29523 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-2023-29523 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-2023-29523?
- Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcoreto 13.10.11 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcoreto 14.4.8 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcoreto 14.10.2 or later
- Upgrade