Summary
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-flamingo-theme-ui vulnerable to privilege escalation
Reproduction Steps
Steps to reproduce:
- As a user without script or programming rights, edit your user profile with the object editor (enable advanced mode if necessary to get access) and add an object of type "Theme Class" of "FlamingoThemesCode". In the field "body-bg" (all other fields should work, too) add the following text:
{{/html}} {{async async="true" cached="false" context="doc.reference"}}{{groovy}}println("Hello " + "from groovy!"){{/groovy}}{{/async}}
- Click "Save & View"
- Open /xwiki/bin/view/FlamingoThemesCode/WebHomeSheet where is the URL of your XWiki installation
Expected result:
The list of color themes either doesn't include the user's profile or displays a regular preview.
Actual result:
The user's profile is listed as color theme but instead of the little preview the message
Failed to execute the [html] macro. Cause: [When using HTML content inline, you can only use inline HTML content. Block HTML content (such as tables) cannot be displayed. Try leaving an empty line before and after the macro.]. Click on this message for details.
Hello from groovy!">
is displayed. This shows that a Groovy macro with content created by the user has been executed and thus demonstrates a privilege escalation from simple user account to programming rights.
Workarounds
The issue can be fixed by applying this patch on FlamingoThemesCode.WebHomeSheet.
References
- patch: https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/df596f15368342236f8899ca122af8f3df0fe2e8
- Jira: https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20280
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 with the right to add an object on a page can execute arbitrary Groovy, Python or Velocity code in XWiki leading to full access to the XWiki installation. The root cause is improper escaping of the styles properties FlamingoThemesCode.WebHome. This page is installed by default.
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-2023-30537 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, 14.4.7, 14.10); 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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The vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 13.10.11, 14.4.7 and 14.10.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-30537? CVE-2023-30537 is a critical-severity code injection vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-flamingo-theme-ui (maven), affecting versions >= 12.6.6, < 13.10.11. It is fixed in 13.10.11, 14.4.7, 14.10. Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment.
- How severe is CVE-2023-30537? CVE-2023-30537 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-flamingo-theme-ui are affected by CVE-2023-30537? org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-flamingo-theme-ui (maven) versions >= 12.6.6, < 13.10.11 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-30537? Yes. CVE-2023-30537 is fixed in 13.10.11, 14.4.7, 14.10. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-30537 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-30537 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-2023-30537 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-2023-30537?
- Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-flamingo-theme-uito 13.10.11 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-flamingo-theme-uito 14.4.7 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-flamingo-theme-uito 14.10 or later
- Upgrade