CVE-2023-36471 Explained : Impact and Mitigation
Critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.1) in XWiki Commons allows form elements in a restricted manner, enabling phishing attacks and remote code execution. Learn more about mitigation and prevention.
A critical vulnerability has been discovered in XWiki Commons that allows form elements in a restricted manner. This CVE, assigned by GitHub, has a base severity of 'Critical' with a CVSS base score of 9.1.
Understanding CVE-2023-36471
XWiki Commons, used by various XWiki projects, includes an HTML sanitizer that permits form and input HTML tags. This loophole can lead to phishing attacks or remote code execution.
What is CVE-2023-36471?
The vulnerability in XWiki Commons allows an attacker to create forms for phishing or execute remote code by injecting malicious content. The issue lies in the permissionless inclusion of form-related tags.
The Impact of CVE-2023-36471
With a base severity of 'Critical' and a CVSS base score of 9.1, this vulnerability poses high risks to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. It requires low privileges but user interaction is required for exploitation.
Technical Details of CVE-2023-36471
XWiki Commons versions >= 14.6-rc-1 and < 14.10.6, as well as >= 15.0-rc-1 and < 15.2-rc-1 are affected by this vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The HTML sanitizer in XWiki Commons allowed form and input tags, enabling attackers to inject malicious content for phishing attacks or remote code execution.
Affected Systems and Versions
Systems running XWiki Commons versions specified earlier are vulnerable to this issue.
Exploitation Mechanism
Attackers can leverage the unrestricted form capabilities to create malicious forms or inject code, potentially leading to severe security breaches.
Mitigation and Prevention
To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-36471, immediate action is required along with long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
Users are strongly advised to upgrade to XWiki versions 14.10.6 and 15.2-rc-1 where the vulnerability has been patched. As a workaround, admins can manually disallow specific tags in the configuration file.
Long-Term Security Practices
Regularly updating systems, implementing proper access controls, and monitoring for suspicious activities can enhance overall security posture.
Patching and Updates
Ensure that all XWiki Commons installations are updated to the patched versions to prevent exploitation of this critical vulnerability.