CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-29507NVD status: Modified

xwiki-platform: Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs

CVE-2023-29507 is a high-severity incorrect use of privileged apis vulnerability in xwiki-platform from XWiki, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.2 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. Affected xwiki-platform versions: >= 14.5, < 14.10; >= 14.4.1, < 14.4.7. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.9% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 60% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Xwiki to 14.4.7 or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
XWikixwiki-platform>= 14.5, < 14.10; >= 14.4.1, < 14.4.7Not stated
XWikiXwiki14.4.1 up to, but not including, 14.4.7; 14.1014.4.7

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.19.1CriticalCNA (github.com)
CVSS 3.17.2HighNVD

Official description

XWiki Commons are technical libraries common to several other top level XWiki projects. The Document script API returns directly a DocumentAuthors allowing to set any authors to the document, which in consequence can allow subsequent executions of scripts since this author is used for checking rights. The problem has been patched in XWiki 14.10 and 14.4.7 by returning a safe script API.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs

The product does not conform to the API requirements for a function call that requires extra privileges. This could allow attackers to gain privileges by causing the function to be called incorrectly.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Before calling privileged APIs, always ensure that the assumptions made by the privileged code hold true prior to making the call.
  • Know architecture and implementation weaknesses of the privileged APIs and make sure to account for these weaknesses before calling the privileged APIs to ensure that they can be called safely.
  • If privileged APIs make certain assumptions about data, context or state validity that are passed by the caller, the calling code must ensure that these assumptions have been validated prior to making the call.

More Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerabilities (CWE-648)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other references

Other vulnerabilities in xwiki-platform

All xwiki-platform vulnerabilities

Recent Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerabilities

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