Summary
In XWiki Platform, payloads stored in content is executed when a user with script/programming right edit them
Workarounds
No workaround. It is advised to upgrade to XWiki 15.10+.
References
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20331
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21311
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21481
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21482
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21483
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21484
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21485
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21486
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21487
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21488
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21489
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21490
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
This vulnerability has been reported on Intigriti by @floerer
Impact
A user without script/programming right can trick a user with elevated rights to edit a content with a malicious payload using a WYSIWYG editor.
The user with elevated rights is not warned beforehand that they are going to edit possibly dangerous content.
The payload is executed at edit time.
The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access. Typical impact: privilege escalation beyond the intended level.
CVE-2024-43401 has a CVSS score of 9.0 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (15.10-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.
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This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 15.10RC1.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-43401? CVE-2024-43401 is a critical-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates (maven), affecting versions < 15.10-rc-1. It is fixed in 15.10-rc-1. The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access.
- How severe is CVE-2024-43401? CVE-2024-43401 has a CVSS score of 9.0 (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.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates are affected by CVE-2024-43401? org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates (maven) versions < 15.10-rc-1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-43401? Yes. CVE-2024-43401 is fixed in 15.10-rc-1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-43401 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-43401 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-2024-43401 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-2024-43401? Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templatesto 15.10-rc-1 or later.