CVE-2023-26479 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This CVE involves the XWiki Platform's vulnerability to improper handling of exceptional conditions, potentially leading to stack overflow errors and unusable pages.

Understanding CVE-2023-26479

This vulnerability in XWiki Platform's rendering parser can significantly impact the platform's usability and performance.

What is CVE-2023-26479?

XWiki Platform, a generic wiki platform, starting from version 6.0, allows users with write rights to insert poorly handled content into the parser. This can render pages, such as the user index, unusable due to stack overflow errors, making it challenging to revert changes directly in the UI.

The Impact of CVE-2023-26479

The consequences of this vulnerability include missing UI elements, making it impossible to edit affected pages. It can lead to system instability and performance issues due to stack overflow errors.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-26479

This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-755, with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5, indicating a medium severity issue with high availability impact.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the improper handling of exceptional conditions in the XWiki Platform's rendering parser, leading to stack overflow errors when processing certain types of content.

Affected Systems and Versions

XWiki Platform versions >= 6.0 and < 13.10.10
XWiki Platform versions >= 14.0 and < 14.4.6
XWiki Platform versions >= 14.5 and < 14.9-rc-1

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious content that triggers stack overflow errors in the XWiki rendering parser, impacting the usability of affected pages.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-26479 and prevent potential exploitation, immediate steps and long-term security practices should be implemented.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the patches released in XWiki versions 13.10.10, 14.4.6, and 14.9-rc-1 to eliminate the vulnerability.
Implement a temporary workaround by increasing the memory allocation to the stack using the

-Xss

JVM parameter to avoid stack overflow errors.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update the XWiki Platform to the latest patched versions to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security audits and testing to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely application of security patches provided by XWiki to address vulnerabilities and enhance the overall security posture of the XWiki Platform.