CVE-2024-31996: Xwiki commons velocity Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
CRITICALCVE-2024-31996 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 10.0) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Xwiki commons velocity libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves xwiki commons missing escaping of `{` in velocity escapetool allows remote code execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 14.10.19, 15.5.4, 15.9-rc-1.
CVE-2024-31996 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 10.0
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:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2024-31996
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Xwiki commons velocity dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>org.xwiki.commons</groupId>
<artifactId>xwiki-commons-velocity</artifactId>
<version>14.10.19</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.xwiki.commons</groupId>
<artifactId>xwiki-commons-velocity</artifactId>
<version>15.5.4</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.xwiki.commons</groupId>
<artifactId>xwiki-commons-velocity</artifactId>
<version>15.9-rc-1</version>
</dependency>
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.commons
How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2024-31996, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.commons
Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Xwiki commons velocity in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 14.10.19), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.commons 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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In Xwiki commons velocity, 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
CVE-2024-31996 Affected Xwiki commons velocity Versions
3 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
org.xwiki.commons:xwiki-commons-velocity
|
Maven |
≥ 3.0.1
< 14.10.19
|
14.10.19
|
|
org.xwiki.commons:xwiki-commons-velocity
|
Maven |
≥ 15.0-rc-1
< 15.5.4
|
15.5.4
|
|
org.xwiki.commons:xwiki-commons-velocity
|
Maven |
≥ 15.6-rc-1
< 15.9-rc-1
|
15.9-rc-1
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2024-31996?
Which Xwiki commons velocity versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2024-31996?
Is xwiki-commons-velocity affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-31996?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-31996?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2024-31996?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-hf43-47q4-fhq5",
"modified" : "2024-04-10T22:01:56Z",
"published" : "2024-04-10T17:16:37Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-31996" ],
"summary" : "XWiki Commons missing escaping of `{` in Velocity escapetool allows remote code execution",
"details" : "### Impact\nThe HTML escaping of escaping tool that is used in XWiki doesn't escape `{`, which, when used in certain places, allows XWiki syntax injection and thereby remote code execution.\n\nTo reproduce in an XWiki installation, open `<xwiki-host>/xwiki/bin/view/Panels/PanelLayoutUpdate?place=%7B%7B%2Fhtml%7D%7D%7B%7Basync%20async%3Dfalse%7D%7D%7B%7Bvelocity%7D%7D%23evaluate(%24request.eval)%7B%7B%2Fvelocity%7D%7D%7B%7B%2Fasync%7D%7D&eval=Hello%20from%20URL%20Parameter!%20I%20got%20programming%3A%20%24services.security.authorization.hasAccess(%27programming%27)` where `<xwiki-host>` is the URL of your XWiki installation. If this displays `You are not admin on this place Hello from URL Parameter! I got programming: true`, the installation is vulnerable.\n\n### Patches\nThe vulnerability has been fixed on XWiki 14.10.19, 15.5.5, and 15.9 RC1.\n\n### Workarounds\nApart from upgrading, there is no generic workaround. However, replacing `$escapetool.html` by `$escapetool.xml` in XWiki documents fixes the vulnerability. In a standard XWiki installation, we're only aware of the document `Panels.PanelLayoutUpdate` that exposes this vulnerability, patching this document is thus a workaround. Any extension could expose this vulnerability and might thus require patching, too.\n\n### References\n- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/commit/b94142e2a66ec32e89eacab67c3da8d91f5ef93a\n- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XCOMMONS-2828\n- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21438",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.xwiki.commons:xwiki-commons-velocity"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "3.0.1"
}, {
"fixed" : "14.10.19"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.xwiki.commons:xwiki-commons-velocity"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "15.0-rc-1"
}, {
"fixed" : "15.5.4"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.xwiki.commons:xwiki-commons-velocity"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "15.6-rc-1"
}, {
"fixed" : "15.9-rc-1"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/security/advisories/GHSA-hf43-47q4-fhq5"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-31996"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/commit/b0805160ec7b01ee12417e79cb384e60ae4817aa"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/commit/b94142e2a66ec32e89eacab67c3da8d91f5ef93a"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons/commit/ed7ff515a2436a1c6dcbd0c6ca0c41e434d58915"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-commons"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XCOMMONS-2828"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-21438"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94", "CWE-95" ],
"severity" : "CRITICAL",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-10T17:16:37Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2024-04-10T21:15:07Z"
}
}