---
title: "CVE-2025-53835: XWiki Rendering is vulnerable to XSS attacks through insecure XHTML syntax"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-53835/
description: "CVE-2025-53835 (org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-syntax-xhtml (Maven)): XWiki Rendering is a generic rendering system that converts textual input in a…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2025-07-14
date_modified: 2025-07-15
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2025-53835"
kev: false
cvss: 9.1
epss: 0.00408
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2025-53835: XWiki Rendering is vulnerable to XSS attacks through insecure XHTML syntax

**Signal:** Critical, preconditions apply. Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 0.4% , percentile 34: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 34% 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.rendering:xwiki-rendering-syntax-xhtml (Maven) >= 5.4.5, < 14.10, fixed in 14.10 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

XWiki Rendering is a generic rendering system that converts textual input in a given syntax (wiki syntax, HTML, etc) into another syntax (XHTML, etc). Starting in version 5.4.5 and prior to version 14.10, the XHTML syntax depended on the xdom+xml/current syntax which allows the creation of raw blocks that permit the insertion of arbitrary HTML content including JavaScript. This allows XSS attacks for users who can edit a document like their user profile (enabled by default). This has been fixed in version 14.10 by removing the dependency on the xdom+xml/current syntax from the XHTML syntax. Note that the xdom+xml syntax is still vulnerable to this attack. As it's main purpose is testing and its use is quite difficult, this syntax shouldn't be installed or used on a regular wiki. There are no known workarounds apart from upgrading.

## Affected packages

- Maven `org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-syntax-xhtml` >= 5.4.5, < 14.10 → fixed: 14.10

## Affected products (CVE record)

- xwiki xwiki-rendering: >= 5.4.5, < 14.10

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.0 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.41% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 34.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-w3wh-g4m9-783p](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-w3wh-g4m9-783p)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2025-53835](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-53835)
- [NVD entry CVE-2025-53835](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53835)
- [github.com](https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-rendering/security/advisories/GHSA-w3wh-g4m9-783p)
- [github.com](https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-rendering/commit/a4ca31f99f524b9456c64150d6f375984aa81ea7)
- [jira.xwiki.org](https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XRENDERING-660)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-53835/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt