CVE-2023-45138: XWiki Change Request Application UI XSS and remote code execution through change request title

Should you act?

High exploit likelihood

EPSS ranks it in the top 5% of all CVEs for likely exploitation in the next 30 days. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
• EPSS 71.7%, percentile 99: FIRST’s model estimates a 71.7% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui (Maven) >= 0.11, < 1.9.2, fixed in 1.9.2. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

Change Request is an pplication allowing users to request changes on a wiki without publishing the changes directly. Starting in version 0.11 and prior to version 1.9.2, it's possible for a user without any specific right to perform script injection and remote code execution just by inserting an appropriate title when creating a new Change Request. This vulnerability is particularly critical as Change Request aims at being created by user without any particular rights. The vulnerability has been fixed in Change Request 1.9.2. It's possible to workaround the issue without upgrading by editing the document ChangeRequest.Code.ChangeRequestSheet and by performing the same change as in the fix commit.

From the GitHub advisory

Impact

It's possible for a user without any specific right to perform script injection and remote code execution just by inserting an appropriate title when creating a new Change Request. This vulnerability is particularly critical as Change Request aims at being created by user without any particular rights.

Patches

The vulnerability has been fixed in Change Request 1.9.2.

Workarounds

Weakness type: CWE-79.

Product: org.xwiki.contrib.changerequest:application-changerequest-ui (Maven) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2023-10-12

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: changed (can affect other components)

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact total.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 71.74% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 99.

Timeline

• 2023-10-12 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2023-10-17 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-f776-w9v2-7vfj published (critical)
• 2024-09-18 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vulnerability records

1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-f776-w9v2-7vfj github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2023-45138 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2023-45138 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. github.com github.com
2. github.com github.com
3. jira.xwiki.org jira.xwiki.org

Critical Maven advisories · Today’s Security Digest