CVE-2023-36471: Xwiki commons is the common modules used by other XWiki top level projects. The HTML sanitizer that is included in XWiki since version 14.6RC1 allowed...

Description

Xwiki commons is the common modules used by other XWiki top level projects. The HTML sanitizer that is included in XWiki since version 14.6RC1 allowed form and input HTML tags. In the context of XWiki, this allows an attacker without script right to either create forms that can be used for phishing attacks or also in the context of a sheet, the attacker could add an input like `{{html}}<input type="hidden" name="content" value="{{groovy}}println("Hello from Groovy!")" />{{/html}}` that would allow remote code execution when it is submitted by an admin (the sheet is rendered as part of the edit form). The attacker would need to ensure that the edit form looks plausible, though, which can be non-trivial as without script right the attacker cannot display the regular content of the document. This has been patched in XWiki 14.10.6 and 15.2RC1 by removing the central form-related tags from the list of allowed tags. Users are advised to upgrade. As a workaround an admin can manually disallow the tags by adding `form, input, select, textarea, button` to the configuration option `xml.htmlElementSanitizer.forbidTags` in the `xwiki.properties` configuration file.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.4/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

EPSS Probability

0.90%

55.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Xwiki	Commons	>= 14.6, < 14.10.6
Xwiki	Commons	15.0
Xwiki	Commons	15.1

References

https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/commit/99484d48e899a68a1b6e33d457825b776c6fe8c3Patch
https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/security/advisories/GHSA-6pqf-c99p-758vExploit, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XCOMMONS-2634Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/commit/99484d48e899a68a1b6e33d457825b776c6fe8c3Patch
https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/security/advisories/GHSA-6pqf-c99p-758vExploit, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XCOMMONS-2634Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 29, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-36471?

Xwiki commons is the common modules used by other XWiki top level projects. The HTML sanitizer that is included in XWiki since version 14.6RC1 allowed form and input HTML tags. In the context of XWiki, this allows an attacker without script right to either create forms that can be used for phishing attacks or also in the context of a sheet, the attacker could add an input like `{{html}}<input type="hidden" name="content" value="{{groovy}}println("Hello from Groovy!")" />{{/html}}` that would allow remote code execution when it is submitted by an admin (the sheet is rendered as part of the edit form). The attacker would need to ensure that the edit form looks plausible, though, which can be non-trivial as without script right the attacker cannot display the regular content of the document. This has been patched in XWiki 14.10.6 and 15.2RC1 by removing the central form-related tags from the list of allowed tags. Users are advised to upgrade. As a workaround an admin can manually disallow the tags by adding `form, input, select, textarea, button` to the configuration option `xml.htmlElementSanitizer.forbidTags` in the `xwiki.properties` configuration file.

How severe is CVE-2023-36471?

CVE-2023-36471 has a CVSS score of 5.4/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.90% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-36471?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

How Strix Helps

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