CVE-2025-51990 in XWiki
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2025
XWiki through version 17.3.0 is affected by multiple stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Administration interface, specifically under the Presentation section of the Global Preferences panel. An authenticated administrator can inject arbitrary JavaScript payloads into the HTTP Meta Info, Footer Copyright, and Footer Version fields. These inputs are stored and subsequently rendered without proper output encoding or sanitization on public-facing pages. As a result, the injected scripts are persistently executed in the browser context of any visitor to the affected instances including both authenticated and unauthenticated users. No user interaction is required beyond visiting a page that includes the malicious content. Successful exploitation can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, unauthorized actions via session riding, or further compromise of the application through client-side attacks. The vulnerability introduces significant risk in any deployment, especially in shared or internet-facing environments where administrator credentials may be compromised.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-51990 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the XWiki platform version 17.3.0 and earlier, specifically affecting the Administration interface's Presentation section. This security weakness resides in the Global Preferences panel where administrators can configure various display elements including HTTP Meta Information, Footer Copyright, and Footer Version fields. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied content before storing and rendering it within the application's public-facing pages. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects authenticated administrators who possess the ability to inject malicious JavaScript code into these configuration fields, creating a persistent threat that can impact all users regardless of their authentication status.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a user's browser without proper validation or encoding. In this case, the attack vector operates through the administration interface where legitimate administrators can inadvertently or maliciously introduce JavaScript payloads into the configurable fields mentioned. When these fields are subsequently rendered on public pages, the stored malicious code executes within the browser context of any visitor, including both authenticated users and anonymous visitors. The absence of proper output encoding mechanisms means that the application fails to escape special characters that could otherwise neutralize the malicious JavaScript content, allowing it to be interpreted and executed by the browser as legitimate code.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-51990 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, presenting a comprehensive threat landscape that aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1566 phase of social engineering. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that once exploited, the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the configuration fields, providing attackers with extended opportunities for various malicious activities. Successful exploitation can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, steal authentication credentials, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users through session riding, or serve as a launching point for more sophisticated client-side attacks. The vulnerability's risk is amplified in internet-facing deployments where administrator credentials might be compromised through various attack vectors, potentially allowing unauthorized parties to inject malicious code even without direct access to the administration interface.
Organizations deploying XWiki in shared or publicly accessible environments face particularly high risk from this vulnerability, as the combination of persistent execution and broad user impact creates multiple attack surfaces for threat actors. The lack of required user interaction beyond simple page viewing makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous and difficult to detect, as malicious code can execute automatically upon page load without any user engagement. Effective mitigation strategies must address both the immediate remediation of the vulnerability through software updates to versions beyond 17.3.0 and the implementation of additional security controls including input validation, output encoding, and regular monitoring of administration interface configurations. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of principle of least privilege in administrative access, as limiting who can modify presentation settings reduces the potential attack surface for this type of exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and regular security audits of configuration settings to prevent unauthorized modifications that could lead to similar stored XSS vulnerabilities in other application components.