CVE-2023-48292: The XWiki Admin Tools Application provides tools to help the administration of XWiki. Starting in version 4.4 and prior to version 4.5.1, a cross site...

Description

The XWiki Admin Tools Application provides tools to help the administration of XWiki. Starting in version 4.4 and prior to version 4.5.1, a cross site request forgery vulnerability in the admin tool for executing shell commands on the server allows an attacker to execute arbitrary shell commands by tricking an admin into loading the URL with the shell command. A very simple possibility for an attack are comments. When the attacker can leave a comment on any page in the wiki it is sufficient to include an image with an URL like `/xwiki/bin/view/Admin/RunShellCommand?command=touch%20/tmp/attacked` in the comment. When an admin views the comment, the file `/tmp/attacked` will be created on the server. The output of the command is also vulnerable to XWiki syntax injection which offers a simple way to execute Groovy in the context of the XWiki installation and thus an even easier way to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of the whole XWiki installation. This has been patched by adding a form token check in version 4.5.1 of the admin tools. Some workarounds are available. The patch can be applied manually to the affected wiki pages. Alternatively, the document `Admin.RunShellCommand` can also be deleted if the possibility to run shell commands isn't needed.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

8.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

22.94%

97.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-352

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Xwiki	Admin Tools	>= 4.4, < 4.5.1

References

https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-admintools/commit/03815c505c9f37006a0c56495e862dc549a39da8Patch
https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-admintools/security/advisories/GHSA-8jpr-ff92-hpf9Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/ADMINTOOL-91Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-admintools/commit/03815c505c9f37006a0c56495e862dc549a39da8Patch
https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-admintools/security/advisories/GHSA-8jpr-ff92-hpf9Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/ADMINTOOL-91Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Nov 20, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-48292?

The XWiki Admin Tools Application provides tools to help the administration of XWiki. Starting in version 4.4 and prior to version 4.5.1, a cross site request forgery vulnerability in the admin tool for executing shell commands on the server allows an attacker to execute arbitrary shell commands by tricking an admin into loading the URL with the shell command. A very simple possibility for an attack are comments. When the attacker can leave a comment on any page in the wiki it is sufficient to include an image with an URL like `/xwiki/bin/view/Admin/RunShellCommand?command=touch%20/tmp/attacked` in the comment. When an admin views the comment, the file `/tmp/attacked` will be created on the server. The output of the command is also vulnerable to XWiki syntax injection which offers a simple way to execute Groovy in the context of the XWiki installation and thus an even easier way to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of the whole XWiki installation. This has been patched by adding a form token check in version 4.5.1 of the admin tools. Some workarounds are available. The patch can be applied manually to the affected wiki pages. Alternatively, the document `Admin.RunShellCommand` can also be deleted if the possibility to run shell commands isn't needed.

How severe is CVE-2023-48292?

CVE-2023-48292 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 22.94% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-48292?

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.