CVE-2025-23025: XWiki Realtime WYSIWYG Editor extension allows privilege escalation (PR) through realtime WYSIWYG editing

Should you act?

Critical, preconditions apply

Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. 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 0.4%, percentile 35: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 35% of all scored CVEs (low). 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-realtime-wysiwyg-ui (Maven) >= 13.9-rc-1, < 15.10.12, fixed in 15.10.12; org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-wysiwyg-ui (Maven) >= 16.0.0-rc-1, < 16.4.1, fixed in 16.4.1; org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-wysiwyg-ui (Maven) >= 16.5.0-rc-1, < 16.6.0-rc-1, fixed in 16.6.0-rc-1. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform offering runtime services for applications built on top of it. NOTE: The Realtime WYSIWYG Editor extension was experimental, and thus not recommended, in the versions affected by this vulnerability. It has become enabled by default, and thus recommended, starting with XWiki 16.9.0. A user with only edit right can join a realtime editing session where others, that where already there or that may join later, have script or programming access rights. This user can then insert script rendering macros that are executed for those users in the realtime session that have script or programming rights. The inserted scripts can be used to gain more access rights. This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 15.10.2, 16.4.1 and 16.6.0-rc-1. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade may either disable the realtime WYSIWYG editing by disabling the xwiki-realtime CKEditor plugin from the WYSIWYG editor administration section or uninstall the Realtime WYSIWYG Editorextension (org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-wysiwyg-ui).

From the GitHub advisory

Impact

NOTE: The Realtime WYSIWYG Editor extension was experimental, and thus not recommended, in the versions affected by this vulnerability. It has become enabled by default, and thus recommended, starting with XWiki 16.9.0.

A user with only edit right can join a realtime editing session where others, that where already there or that may join later, have script or programming access rights. This user can then insert script rendering macros that are executed for those users in the realtime session that have script or programming rights. The inserted scripts can be used to gain more access rights.

Here's an example that works with XWiki 15.10.9+ and 16.2.0+:

the attacker starts editing a wiki page in realtime (for which they have edit right) another user, with script or programming access right joins the editing session (e.g. by clicking on a link / URL provided by the attacker) the attacker inserts a script rendering macro, say {{velocity}}I can run scripts{{/velocity}}, in the edited content, using the WYSIWYG editor UI the edited content is reloaded for both the attacker and the other user, in order to render the inserted macro the attacker gets a rendering error message the other user sees "I can run scripts"

Weakness type: CWE-862.

Product: org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-wysiwyg-ui (Maven) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2025-01-14

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: low (any account)
• User interaction: required (a user must click/open something)
• 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): 0.42% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 35.

Timeline

• 2025-01-14 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2025-01-14 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-rmm7-r7wr-xpfg published (critical)
• 2025-01-15 — 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-rmm7-r7wr-xpfg github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2025-23025 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2025-23025 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

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

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