CVE-2023-50721: Remote code execution from account through SearchAdmin

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. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
• EPSS 78.8%, percentile 99.6: FIRST’s model estimates a 78.8% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 99.6% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui (Maven) >= 4.5-rc-1, < 14.10.15, fixed in 14.10.15; org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui (Maven) >= 15.0-rc-1, < 15.5.2, fixed in 15.5.2; org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui (Maven) >= 15.6-rc-1, < 15.7-rc-1, fixed in 15.7-rc-1. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform. Starting in 4.5-rc-1 and prior to versions 14.10.15, 15.5.2, and 15.7-rc-1, the search administration interface doesn't properly escape the id and label of search user interface extensions, allowing the injection of XWiki syntax containing script macros including Groovy macros that allow remote code execution, impacting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki instance. This attack can be executed by any user who can edit some wiki page like the user's profile (editable by default) as user interface extensions that will be displayed in the search administration can be added on any document by any user. The necessary escaping has been added in XWiki 14.10.15, 15.5.2 and 15.7RC1. As a workaround, the patch can be applied manually applied to the page XWiki.SearchAdmin.

From the GitHub advisory

Impact The search administration interface doesn't properly escape the id and label of search user interface extensions, allowing the injection of XWiki syntax containing script macros including Groovy macros that allow remote code execution, impacting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki instance. This attack can be executed by any user who can edit some wiki page like the user's profile (editable by default) as user interface extensions that will be displayed in the search administration can be added on any document by any user.

To reproduce, edit any document with the object editor, add an object of type XWiki.UIExtensionClass, set "Extension Point Id" to org.xwiki.platform.search, set "Extension ID" to {{async}}{{groovy}}services.logging.getLogger("attacker").error("Attack from extension id succeeded!"){{/groovy}}{{/async}}, set "Extension Parameters" to label={{async}}{{groovy}}services.logging.getLogger("attacker").error("Attack from label succeeded!"){{/groovy}}{{/async}} and "Extension Scope" to "Current User". Then open the page XWiki.SearchAdmin, e.g., on http://localhost:8080/xwiki/bin/view/XWiki/SearchAdmin. If there are error log messages in XWiki's log that announce that attacks succeeded, the instance is vulnerable.

Patches The necessary escaping has been added in XWiki 14.10.15, 15.5.2 and 15.7RC1.

Workarounds The patch can be manually applied to the page XWiki.SearchAdmin.

References https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/62863736d78ffd60d822279c5fb7fb9593042766 https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21200

Weakness type: CWE-95, CWE-94.

Product: org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui (Maven) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2023-12-15

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: low (any account)
• 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).
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 78.81% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 99.6.

Timeline

• 2023-12-15 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2023-12-16 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-7654-vfh6-rw6x published (critical)
• 2024-08-02 — 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-7654-vfh6-rw6x github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2023-50721 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2023-50721 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