CVE-2023-37465: Discussions server Discussions-server Has Cross-Site Request Forgery Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-4j38-rw27-97gx
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-352
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-37465 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) discussions-server has cross-site request forgery vulnerability (CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)) affecting Discussions server libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves discussions-server has cross-site request forgery (csrf) issue that makes it possible to delete messages. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.0-rc-1.

CVE-2023-37465 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-37465
GHSA Identifier GHSA-4j38-rw27-97gx
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
Affected Product Discussions server
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2023-37465

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Discussions server dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.xwiki.contrib:discussions-server fixed: 2.0-rc-1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.xwiki.contrib</groupId>
    <artifactId>discussions-server</artifactId>
    <version>2.0-rc-1</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.contrib

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-37465, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.contrib

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Discussions server in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.0-rc-1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.contrib command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), where the web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor. In Discussions server, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Impact It's possible to forge a request to delete a message. ### Patches The problem has been patched in version 2.0-rc-1 of Discussion Extension. ### Workarounds There's no easy workaround except upgrading. ### References https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/DISCUSSION-22 ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue in [Jira XWiki](https://jira.xwiki.org) * Email us at [security mailing-list](mailto:security@xwiki.org)

CVE-2023-37465 Affected Discussions server Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.0-rc-1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.xwiki.contrib:discussions-server
maven/org.xwiki.contrib/discussions-server
Maven
< 2.0-rc-1
2.0-rc-1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-discussions/security/advisories/GHSA-4j38-rw27-97gx
Discussions server Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-discussions
jira.xwiki.org/browse/discussion-2... WEB
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/DISCUSSION-22

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-37465?
CVE-2023-37465 is a security vulnerability in Discussions server involving discussions-server has Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) issue that makes it possible to delete messages under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF).
Which Discussions server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.0-rc-1 across affected packages: org.xwiki.contrib:discussions-server.
What version fixes CVE-2023-37465?
Upgrading to 2.0-rc-1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is discussions-server affected?
Yes, org.xwiki.contrib:discussions-server is affected in releases prior to 2.0-rc-1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.0-rc-1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-37465?
CVE-2023-37465 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-37465?
CVE-2023-37465 is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) (The web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-37465?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.contrib'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-4j38-rw27-97gx",
  "modified" : "2026-07-27T17:04:00Z",
  "published" : "2026-07-27T17:04:00Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-37465" ],
  "summary" : "org.xwiki.contrib:discussions-server has Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) issue that makes it possible to delete messages",
  "details" : "### Impact\nIt's possible to forge a request to delete a message. \n\n### Patches\nThe problem has been patched in version 2.0-rc-1 of Discussion Extension.\n\n### Workarounds\nThere's no easy workaround except upgrading.\n\n### References\nhttps://jira.xwiki.org/browse/DISCUSSION-22\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n* Open an issue in [Jira XWiki](https://jira.xwiki.org)\n* Email us at [security mailing-list](mailto:security@xwiki.org)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.xwiki.contrib:discussions-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.0-rc-1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-discussions/security/advisories/GHSA-4j38-rw27-97gx"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/application-discussions"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/DISCUSSION-22"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-352" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-07-27T17:04:00Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}