What is CVE-2023-45138?

CVE-2023-45138 is a critical-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui (maven), affecting versions >= 0.11, < 1.9.2. It is fixed in 1.9.2. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.

How severe is CVE-2023-45138?

CVE-2023-45138 has a CVSS score of 10.0 (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.

Is there a fix for CVE-2023-45138?

Yes. CVE-2023-45138 is fixed in 1.9.2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2023-45138 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2023-45138 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2023-45138 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.

CVE-2023-45138

Q: How severe is CVE-2023-45138?

CVE-2023-45138 has a CVSS score of 10.0 (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.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2023-45138?

Yes. CVE-2023-45138 is fixed in 1.9.2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2023-45138 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2023-45138 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2023-45138 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2023-45138?

Upgrade org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui to 1.9.2 or later.

Summary

XWiki Change Request Application UI XSS and remote code execution through change request title

Workarounds

It's possible to workaround the issue without upgrading by editing the document ChangeRequest.Code.ChangeRequestSheet and by performing the same change as in the commit: https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-changerequest/commit/7565e720117f73102f5a276239eabfe85e15cff4.

References

JIRA ticket: https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/CRAPP-298
- Commit of the fix: https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-changerequest/commit/7565e720117f73102f5a276239eabfe85e15cff4

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

Attribution

Thanks Michael Hamann for the report.

Impact

It's possible for a user without any specific right to perform script injection and remote code execution just by inserting an appropriate title when creating a new Change Request.
This vulnerability is particularly critical as Change Request aims at being created by user without any particular rights.

Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.

CVE-2023-45138 has a CVSS score of 10.0 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (1.9.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui (>= 0.11, < 1.9.2)

Security releases

org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui → 1.9.2 (maven)

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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Remediation advice

The vulnerability has been fixed in Change Request 1.9.2.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-45138? CVE-2023-45138 is a critical-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui (maven), affecting versions >= 0.11, < 1.9.2. It is fixed in 1.9.2. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
How severe is CVE-2023-45138? CVE-2023-45138 has a CVSS score of 10.0 (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.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui are affected by CVE-2023-45138? org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui (maven) versions >= 0.11, < 1.9.2 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2023-45138? Yes. CVE-2023-45138 is fixed in 1.9.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2023-45138 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-45138 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-2023-45138 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-2023-45138? Upgrade org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui to 1.9.2 or later.