Summary
XWiki Platform vulnerable to privilege escalation (PR) from account through TipsPanel
Workarounds
There are no known workarounds for it.
References
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20281
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/98208c5bb1e8cdf3ff1ac35d8b3d1cb3c28b3263#diff-4e3467d2ef3871a68b2f910e67cf84531751b32e0126321be83c0f1ed5d90b29L176-R178
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
It's possible to execute any wiki content with the right of the TipsPanel author by creating a tip UI extension.
To reproduce:
- Add an object of type UIExtensionClass
- Set "Extension Point ID" to org.xwiki.platform.help.tipsPanel
- Set "Extension ID" to org.xwiki.platform.user.test (needs to be unique but otherwise doesn't matter)
- Set "Extension Parameters" to
tip={{async async="true" cached="false" context="doc.reference"}}{{groovy}}println("Hello " + "from groovy!"){{/groovy}}{{/async}} - Set "Extension Scope" to "Current User".
- Click "Save & View"
- Open the "Help.TipsPanel" document at /xwiki/bin/view/Help/TipsPanel where is the URL of your XWiki installation and press refresh repeatedly.
The groovy macro is executed, after the fix you get an error instead.
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
CVE-2023-35166 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (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 (14.10.5, 15.1-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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
This has been patched in XWiki 15.1-rc-1 and 14.10.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-35166? CVE-2023-35166 is a high-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-ui (maven), affecting versions >= 8.1-milestone-1, < 14.10.5. It is fixed in 14.10.5, 15.1-rc-1. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2023-35166? CVE-2023-35166 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (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 versions of org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-ui are affected by CVE-2023-35166? org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-ui (maven) versions >= 8.1-milestone-1, < 14.10.5 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-35166? Yes. CVE-2023-35166 is fixed in 14.10.5, 15.1-rc-1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-35166 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-35166 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-2023-35166 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-2023-35166?
- Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-uito 14.10.5 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-uito 15.1-rc-1 or later
- Upgrade