CVE-2023-37912
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in XWiki's footnote macro allows privilege escalation from a standard user account to programming rights, leading to remote code execution. When combined with the include macro, attackers can execute arbitrary code in a different security context, compromising the entire XWiki installation. All XWiki instances using vulnerable versions of the footnote macro are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- XWiki Rendering
- XWiki Platform
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of XWiki installation with remote code execution, data exfiltration, system takeover, and lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Privilege escalation leading to unauthorized administrative access, data manipulation, and potential ransomware deployment.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if strict access controls, network segmentation, and monitoring are in place, though risk remains significant.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once access is obtained. The vulnerability is well-documented in public advisories.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 14.10.6 or 15.1-rc-1
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-rendering/security/advisories/GHSA-35j5-m29r-xfq5
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Identify XWiki version. 2. Upgrade to XWiki 14.10.6 or 15.1-rc-1. 3. Update the footnote macro components. 4. Restart XWiki service. 5. Verify the fix.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
No workaround available
allThe vendor states there is no workaround apart from upgrading to a fixed version.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict user account creation and limit existing user privileges to minimum necessary
- Implement network segmentation to isolate XWiki instances from critical systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check XWiki version and installed macro versions. If using footnote macro versions prior to 14.10.6 or 15.1-rc-1, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check XWiki administration panel or review pom.xml for org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-core-rendering-macro-footnotes and org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes versionsVerify Fix Applied:
Verify XWiki version is 14.10.6 or higher, or 15.1-rc-1 or higher. Confirm footnote macro components are updated.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual footnote macro usage patterns
- Multiple include macro calls from single users
- Privilege escalation attempts in audit logs
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from XWiki server
- Unusual traffic patterns to administrative endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="xwiki.log" AND ("footnote" OR "include") AND ("privilege" OR "escalation" OR "execution")🔗 References
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-rendering/commit/5f558b8fac8b716d19999225f38cb8ed0814116e
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-rendering/security/advisories/GHSA-35j5-m29r-xfq5
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XRENDERING-688
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-rendering/commit/5f558b8fac8b716d19999225f38cb8ed0814116e
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-rendering/security/advisories/GHSA-35j5-m29r-xfq5
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XRENDERING-688
