CVE-2023-29211 in xwiki-platform-wiki-ui-mainwiki
Summary
by MITRE • 04/16/2023
XWiki Commons are technical libraries common to several other top level XWiki projects. Any user with view rights `WikiManager.DeleteWiki` can execute arbitrary Groovy, Python or Velocity code in XWiki leading to full access to the XWiki installation. The root cause is improper escaping of the `wikiId` url parameter. The problem has been patched on XWiki 13.10.11, 14.4.7, and 14.10.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-29211 affects XWiki Commons, which serves as foundational technical libraries supporting multiple top-level XWiki projects within the organization. This security flaw represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated users with specific view rights to execute arbitrary code within the XWiki environment. The vulnerability specifically targets users possessing the `WikiManager.DeleteWiki` permission level, which demonstrates how insufficient access controls can lead to severe operational consequences when combined with improper input validation mechanisms.
The technical root cause stems from inadequate escaping of the `wikiId` URL parameter within the application's processing logic. This improper handling creates a code injection vulnerability where maliciously crafted parameters can bypass normal input sanitization procedures. The vulnerability specifically affects execution environments that support Groovy, Python, and Velocity scripting languages, providing attackers with multiple vectors for code execution. The flaw operates at the parameter parsing level where user-supplied input intended for wiki identification purposes becomes executable code when not properly escaped or validated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation grants attackers full access to the entire XWiki installation. This includes the ability to modify or delete any wiki content, access sensitive user data, manipulate system configurations, and potentially establish persistent access through code injection. The vulnerability affects users with view rights, meaning that even users who should only have read access to wiki content can leverage this flaw to achieve complete system compromise. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring administrative privileges, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with broad user access policies.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability involve upgrading to patched versions of XWiki including releases 13.10.11, 14.4.7, and 14.10, which contain proper input escaping mechanisms for the `wikiId` parameter. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to address this vulnerability across all affected systems. Additionally, network segmentation and access control measures should be reviewed to limit user permissions and reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-74 and CWE-94 categories related to improper neutralization of special elements and code injection respectively, while also mapping to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and command execution within compromised environments. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments to verify that all instances of XWiki Commons have been properly updated and that no unauthorized code execution has occurred through this vulnerability.