CVE-2023-29520 : What You Need to Know

A page render failure due to broken translations in xwiki-platform has been identified as CVE-2023-29520. This vulnerability affects XWiki Platform versions prior to 13.10.11, between 14.0.0 and 14.4.8, as well as versions between 14.5.0 and 14.10.1.

Understanding CVE-2023-29520

XWiki Platform, a generic wiki platform, faces a security issue that can disrupt page rendering due to broken translations caused by malformed documents containing translation objects.

What is CVE-2023-29520?

The vulnerability in XWiki Platform allows threat actors to disrupt translations sourced from wiki pages, resulting in broken pages. The issue has been successfully addressed in versions 15.0-rc-1, 14.10.1, 14.4.8, and 13.10.11, and users are strongly encouraged to update to patched versions.

The Impact of CVE-2023-29520

The exploit could lead to visibility and integrity concerns as broken translations can distort the intended content and potentially enable unauthorized access to system resources.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-29520

The vulnerability is classified with a CVSS base score of 4.3, indicating a medium severity issue. It requires low privileges for exploitation and no user interaction. The attack vector is through the network with low complexity.

Vulnerability Description

By manipulating translation objects within wiki documents, an attacker can trigger a page rendering failure, disrupting content presentation.

Affected Systems and Versions

XWiki Platform versions prior to 13.10.11 and those between 14.0.0 to 14.4.8 and 14.5.0 to 14.10.1 are susceptible to this issue.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability stems from how translation objects are handled, allowing attackers to inject malformed data that disrupts the rendering process.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the CVE-2023-29520 vulnerability:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update XWiki Platform to the patched versions 15.0-rc-1, 14.10.1, 14.4.8, or 13.10.11 to prevent exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software components to ensure the latest security fixes are in place.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and promptly apply patches to address known vulnerabilities.