CVE-2025-52472: XWiki Platform is vulnerable to HQL injection via wiki and space search REST API

Should you act?

Critical and remotely reachable

No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. 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 2.4%, percentile 84: FIRST’s model estimates a 2.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 84% of all scored CVEs (elevated). 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.platform:xwiki-platform-rest-server (Maven) >= 17.0.0-rc-1, < 17.4.2, fixed in 17.4.2; org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-rest-server (Maven) >= 4.3-milestone-1, < 16.10.9, fixed in 16.10.9. 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. Starting in version 4.3-milestone-1 and prior to versions 16.10.9, 17.4.2, and 17.5.0, the REST search URL is vulnerable to HQL injection via the orderField parameter. The specified value is added twice in the query, though, once in the field list for the select and once in the order clause, so it's not that easy to exploit. The part of the query between the two fields can be enclosed in single quotes to effectively remove them, but the query still needs to remain valid with the query two times in it. This has been patched in versions 17.5.0, 17.4.2, and 16.10.9. No known workarounds are available.

From the GitHub advisory

Impact

The REST search URL is vulnerable to HQL injection via the orderField parameter. The specified value is added twice in the query, though, once in the field list for the select and once in the order clause, so it's not that easy to exploit. The part of the query between the two fields can be enclosed in single quotes to effectively remove them, but the query still needs to remain valid with the query two times in it.

For example, with the following orderField parameter:

See the following error:

For reference, the full URL for the above error is:

Weakness type: CWE-89.

Product: org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-rest-server (Maven) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2025-10-06

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Attack requirements: none
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none

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 yes, technical impact total.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 2.37% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 84.

Timeline

• 2025-10-06 — CVE record last updated
• 2025-10-06 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2025-10-06 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-gprp-h92g-gc2h published (critical)

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-gprp-h92g-gc2h github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2025-52472 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2025-52472 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

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

Critical Maven advisories · Today’s Security Digest