CVE-2024-38369 in xwiki-platform
Summary
by MITRE • 06/24/2024
XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform offering runtime services for applications built on top of it. The content of a document included using `{{include reference="targetdocument"/}}` is executed with the right of the includer and not with the right of its author. This means that any user able to modify the target document can impersonate the author of the content which used the `include` macro. This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 15.0 RC1 by making the default behavior safe.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-38369 affects the XWiki Platform, a widely-used generic wiki platform that provides runtime services for applications built upon it. This security flaw resides in the document inclusion mechanism that allows users to embed content from one document into another using the `{{include reference="targetdocument"/}}` macro. The core issue stems from improper access control enforcement during content execution, creating a privilege escalation scenario that can be exploited by malicious actors with limited permissions.
The technical flaw manifests in the way XWiki handles document inclusion operations, specifically how it determines execution context and access rights. When a document is included using the macro, the system executes the included content with the permissions of the user who created the inclusion statement rather than with the permissions of the document author. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the platform's access control model and creates a dangerous privilege escalation vector. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-276, which deals with incorrect access control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1548.001 for Abuse of Functionality, as it allows for unauthorized privilege elevation through legitimate platform features.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables any user with the ability to modify a target document to impersonate the author of content that includes that document. This means that malicious users can potentially execute actions with elevated privileges, access restricted content, or perform operations that should only be available to document authors. The vulnerability essentially allows for a form of privilege escalation where low-privilege users can leverage the inclusion mechanism to gain unauthorized access to resources or functionality that should be restricted. Attackers could exploit this to read sensitive information, modify content with elevated permissions, or potentially execute arbitrary code within the platform's execution environment, depending on the underlying implementation details.
The security patch implemented in XWiki 15.0 RC1 addresses this issue by changing the default behavior to be more secure, ensuring that included content executes with the permissions of the document author rather than the includer. This remediation aligns with the principle of least privilege and proper access control enforcement. Organizations using affected versions of XWiki should immediately upgrade to version 15.0 RC1 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should review existing document inclusion patterns and ensure that proper access controls are in place to prevent unauthorized users from modifying target documents. The fix demonstrates the importance of proper access control implementation in collaborative platforms where multiple users have varying levels of permissions and where content reusability features could potentially be exploited for privilege escalation attacks.