CVE-2022-23617 in XWiki
Summary
by MITRE • 02/10/2022
XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform offering runtime services for applications built on top of it. In affected versions any user with edit right can copy the content of a page it does not have access to by using it as template of a new page. This issue has been patched in XWiki 13.2CR1 and 12.10.6. Users are advised to update. There are no known workarounds for this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-23617 affects the XWiki Platform, a widely-used generic wiki platform that provides runtime services for applications built upon it. This platform serves as a foundation for collaborative environments where users with varying permission levels interact with content. The security flaw represents a significant access control bypass issue that undermines the platform's content protection mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the page copying functionality within XWiki's user permissions system, creating an unexpected pathway for unauthorized content access.
The technical flaw manifests when users with edit permissions attempt to create new pages using templates from pages they should not normally have access to. This occurs because the platform fails to properly validate access rights during the template copying process. The system incorrectly allows users to leverage their edit privileges to copy content from restricted pages, effectively bypassing the intended access controls that should prevent such actions. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where a user with limited permissions can gain access to content beyond their authorized scope through an indirect method.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple content exposure, as it creates potential risks for sensitive information disclosure and unauthorized content manipulation. An attacker with edit rights could potentially access confidential documents, proprietary information, or restricted content that should only be visible to specific user groups. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to XWiki 13.2CR1 and 12.10.6, representing a substantial attack surface that could be exploited by both internal users and external threat actors who have gained edit privileges within the system. This issue aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and demonstrates how insufficient authorization checks during content operations can lead to privilege escalation.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability as particularly concerning due to its ease of exploitation and the broad impact it can have on collaborative environments. The lack of known workarounds means that organizations must rely entirely on updating to patched versions to protect against exploitation. The vulnerability's presence in widely-used wiki platforms like XWiki makes it a significant concern for enterprises that depend on collaborative documentation systems. Organizations implementing XWiki should immediately prioritize updating to versions 13.2CR1 or 12.10.6 to remediate this issue. The mitigation strategy focuses entirely on version updates as no alternative solutions exist, highlighting the importance of maintaining current software versions and applying security patches promptly. This vulnerability underscores the critical nature of access control validation in collaborative platforms and demonstrates how seemingly minor functionality flaws can result in significant security implications. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the 'Abuse Elevation of Privilege' tactic where attackers leverage legitimate system functionality to bypass access controls.