Summary
XWiki allows remote code execution from account through macro descriptions and XWiki.XWikiSyntaxMacrosList
Workarounds
It is possible to manually apply this patch to the page XWiki.XWikiSyntaxMacrosList.
References
Impact
Any user with an account can perform arbitrary remote code execution by adding instances of XWiki.WikiMacroClass to any page. This compromises the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki installation.
To reproduce on a instance, as a connected user without script nor programming rights, go to your user profile and add an object of type XWiki.WikiMacroClass. Set "Macro Id", "Macro Name" and "Macro Code" to any value, "Macro Visibility" to Current User and "Macro Description" to {{async}}{{groovy}}println("Hello from User macro!"){{/groovy}}{{/async}}.
Save the page, then go to <host>/xwiki/bin/view/XWiki/XWikiSyntaxMacrosList.
If the description of your new macro reads "Hello from User macro!", then your instance is vulnerable.
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-2024-55877 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 (15.10.11, 16.4.1, 16.5.0); 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 fixed in XWiki 15.10.11, 16.4.1 and 16.5.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-55877? CVE-2024-55877 is a critical-severity code injection vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-ui (maven), affecting versions >= 9.7-rc-1, < 15.10.11. It is fixed in 15.10.11, 16.4.1, 16.5.0. Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment.
- How severe is CVE-2024-55877? CVE-2024-55877 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-help-ui are affected by CVE-2024-55877? org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-ui (maven) versions >= 9.7-rc-1, < 15.10.11 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-55877? Yes. CVE-2024-55877 is fixed in 15.10.11, 16.4.1, 16.5.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-55877 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-55877 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-2024-55877 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-2024-55877?
- Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-uito 15.10.11 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-uito 16.4.1 or later - Upgrade
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-help-uito 16.5.0 or later
- Upgrade