CVE-2023-52084

Workarounds

Apply https://github.com/wintercms/winter/commit/517f65dfae679b57575b047de13c5af48915a5ba manually if unable to upgrade to v1.2.4.

Users with access to backend forms that include a ColorPicker FormWidget can provide a value that would then be rendered unescaped in the backend form, potentially allowing for a stored XSS attack.

By default, only the Brand Settings (backend.manage_branding) and Mail Brand Settings (system.manage_mail_templates) forms include the colorpicker formwidget, however it is also common for theme's to include it on their Theme Customization (cms.manage_theme_options) form.

Although this was a security issue, it's important to note that its severity is relatively low. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would already need to have trusted access to the Winter CMS backend and they would then need to convince a user with higher privileges than them to visit an affected Form in the backend.

These two factors limit the potential harm of this vulnerability. That being said, all users are advised to update to the latest version (1.2.4) to ensure their systems remain secure.

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-2023-52084 has a CVSS score of 2.0 (Low). The vector is network-reachable, high privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (1.2.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

This issue has been patched in v1.2.4.

1. What is CVE-2023-52084? CVE-2023-52084 is a low-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in winter/wn-backend-module (composer), affecting versions < 1.2.4. It is fixed in 1.2.4. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-52084? CVE-2023-52084 has a CVSS score of 2.0 (Low). 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.
3. Which versions of winter/wn-backend-module are affected by CVE-2023-52084? winter/wn-backend-module (composer) versions < 1.2.4 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-52084? Yes. CVE-2023-52084 is fixed in 1.2.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-52084 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-52084 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2023-52084 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2023-52084? Upgrade winter/wn-backend-module to 1.2.4 or later.