CVE-2023-46731
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-46731 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in XWiki Platform where improper escaping of the section URL parameter allows attackers to execute arbitrary code, including Groovy code. Any user with read access to the XWiki.AdminSheet document (default includes unauthenticated users) can exploit this, compromising the entire XWiki instance's confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
💻 Affected Systems
- XWiki Platform
📦 What is this software?
Xwiki by Xwiki
Xwiki by Xwiki
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the XWiki instance allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code, steal all data, modify content, and potentially take over the server hosting XWiki.
Likely Case
Attackers exploiting this to execute arbitrary Groovy code, leading to data theft, privilege escalation, and installation of backdoors or malware.
If Mitigated
If patched or workarounds applied, risk is eliminated or significantly reduced to authorized administrative actions only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting a malicious URL with the section parameter, which is straightforward given the public advisory details.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: XWiki 14.10.14, 15.5.1, or 15.6 RC1
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/security/advisories/GHSA-62pr-qqf7-hh89
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup your XWiki instance. 2. Upgrade to XWiki 14.10.14, 15.5.1, or 15.6 RC1. 3. Restart the XWiki service or application server. 4. Verify the fix by checking the version and testing for vulnerability.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove guest view rights from XWiki.AdminSheet
allPrevents unauthenticated users from accessing the vulnerable document, reducing attack surface.
Navigate to XWiki.AdminSheet document in XWiki, edit rights, and remove view access for guest users.
Apply manual patch from commit
allManually apply the fix from commit fec8e0e53f9 to escape the section URL parameter properly.
Apply changes from https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/fec8e0e53f9fa2c3f1e568cc15b0e972727c803a to your XWiki installation.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove view rights for guests from XWiki.AdminSheet document immediately.
- Restrict network access to XWiki instance to trusted IPs only.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if your XWiki version is below 14.10.14, 15.5.1, or 15.6 RC1, and verify guest users have view access to XWiki.AdminSheet.Check Version:
Check XWiki version via web interface or configuration files; command varies by installation (e.g., check xwiki.properties or admin panel).Verify Fix Applied:
After patching, confirm version is 14.10.14, 15.5.1, or 15.6 RC1, and test that crafted URLs with section parameters no longer execute code.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual access patterns to XWiki.AdminSheet, especially from unauthenticated IPs.
- Log entries showing execution of Groovy code or errors related to section parameter handling.
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing crafted section parameters in URLs targeting XWiki endpoints.
SIEM Query:
Search for web logs with URI patterns containing 'section' parameter and unusual values, e.g., 'section=groovy:' or similar.🔗 References
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/fec8e0e53f9fa2c3f1e568cc15b0e972727c803a
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/fec8e0e53f9fa2c3f1e568cc15b0e972727c803a#diff-6271f9be501f30b2ba55459eb451aee3413d34171ba8198a77c865306d174e23
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/security/advisories/GHSA-62pr-qqf7-hh89
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21110
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/fec8e0e53f9fa2c3f1e568cc15b0e972727c803a
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/fec8e0e53f9fa2c3f1e568cc15b0e972727c803a#diff-6271f9be501f30b2ba55459eb451aee3413d34171ba8198a77c865306d174e23
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/security/advisories/GHSA-62pr-qqf7-hh89
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21110
