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CSRF remote code execution through the realtime HTML Converter API

Critical
surli published GHSA-r5vh-gc3r-r24w Apr 10, 2024

Package

maven org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui (Maven)

Affected versions

>= 13.9-rc-1, < 14.10.19
>= 15.0-rc-1, < 15.5.4
>= 15.6-rc-1, < 15.9

Patched versions

14.10.19
15.5.4
15.9

Description

Impact

When the realtime editor is installed in XWiki, it allows arbitrary remote code execution with the interaction of an admin user with programming right. More precisely, by getting an admin user to either visit a crafted URL or to view an image with this URL that could be in a comment, the attacker can get the admin to execute arbitrary XWiki syntax including scripting macros with Groovy or Python code. This compromises the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki installation.

To reproduce on an XWiki installation, as an admin, click on <xwiki-host>/xwiki/bin/get/RTFrontend/ConvertHTML?wiki=xwiki&space=Main&page=WebHome&text=%7B%7Bvelocity%7D%7D%24logtool.error%28%22Hello%20from%20Velocity%20%21%22%29%7B%7B%2Fvelocity%7D%7D. If the error "Hello from Velocity!" gets logged then the installation is vulnerable.

Patches

This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.19, 15.5.4 and 15.9.

Workarounds

Update RTFrontend.ConvertHTML following this patch.
This will, however, break some synchronization processes in the realtime editor, so upgrading should be the preferred way on installations where this editor is used.

References

Severity

Critical

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE ID

CVE-2024-31988

Weaknesses