CVE-2022-41935 in XWiki Platform Livetable UI
Summary
by MITRE • 11/23/2022
XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform offering runtime services for applications built on top of it. Users without the right to view documents can deduce their existence by repeated Livetable queries. The issue has been patched in XWiki 14.6RC1, 13.10.8, and 14.4.3, the response is not properly cleaned up of obfuscated entries. As a workaround, The patch for the document `XWiki.LiveTableResultsMacros` can be manually applied or a XAR archive of a patched version can be imported, on versions 12.10.11, 13.9-rc-1, and 13.4.4. There are no known workarounds for this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-41935 affects the XWiki Platform, a comprehensive wiki platform that provides runtime services for applications built upon it. This security flaw represents a information disclosure issue where unauthorized users can gain knowledge about the existence of specific documents within the system through repeated Livetable queries. The vulnerability stems from the platform's insufficient handling of query responses, particularly in how it processes and cleans up obfuscated entries in the response data. This allows malicious actors with minimal privileges to perform reconnaissance activities by systematically querying the system and observing response patterns that reveal document existence without proper authorization.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and demonstrates how improper response handling can lead to unauthorized information disclosure. The flaw specifically impacts the Livetable functionality within XWiki, where queries are processed to return document listings. When users without view permissions attempt to access Livetable data, the system fails to properly sanitize the response by removing obfuscated entries that would otherwise hide document existence. This creates a side-channel information leak where the mere presence or absence of certain entries in query responses can be used to infer the existence of protected documents. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the platform including 12.10.11, 13.9-rc-1, and 13.4.4, indicating it has been present across several release cycles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. An attacker could systematically enumerate documents within the platform by making repeated Livetable queries and analyzing the responses to determine which documents exist and which do not. This reconnaissance capability could be leveraged to identify sensitive documents, understand the platform's content structure, or plan more targeted attacks. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where document access control is critical and where unauthorized users might attempt to discover information about protected content. The fact that this issue exists across multiple versions suggests it represents a fundamental flaw in how the platform handles access control feedback in query responses, potentially making it a persistent threat across various deployment scenarios.
The remediation approach for CVE-2022-41935 involves patching the system to version 14.6RC1, 13.10.8, or 14.4.3, which contain the necessary fixes for properly cleaning up obfuscated entries in Livetable responses. The patch specifically addresses the document XWiki.LiveTableResultsMacros, which is central to the Livetable functionality and where the response sanitization issue occurs. Organizations can also implement the workaround of manually applying the patch to the document or importing a patched XAR archive, though these methods are more complex and time-consuming than direct version upgrades. However, the vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) indicates that it can be used as part of reconnaissance activities to map out system resources. The lack of known workarounds for some versions underscores the importance of timely patch deployment, as the vulnerability essentially provides attackers with a method to systematically discover content without proper authorization, potentially enabling further exploitation attempts. Organizations should prioritize updating their XWiki installations to prevent unauthorized information discovery through this side-channel vulnerability.