CVE-2023-29209: Xwiki platform legacy notification activitymacro Xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro Eval Injection Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9pc2-x9qf-7j2q
CVSS 9.9
CWE-94 CWE-95
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-29209 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.9) xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro eval injection vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Xwiki platform legacy notification activitymacro libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro eval injection vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 13.10.11, 14.4.7, 14.10.

CVE-2023-29209 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-29209
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9pc2-x9qf-7j2q
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.9
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Xwiki platform legacy notification activitymacro
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.9

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2023-29209

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Xwiki platform legacy notification activitymacro 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.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro fixed: 13.10.11
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.xwiki.platform</groupId>
    <artifactId>xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro</artifactId>
    <version>13.10.11</version>
</dependency>
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro fixed: 14.4.7
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.xwiki.platform</groupId>
    <artifactId>xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro</artifactId>
    <version>14.4.7</version>
</dependency>
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro fixed: 14.10
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.xwiki.platform</groupId>
    <artifactId>xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro</artifactId>
    <version>14.10</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.platform

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-29209, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Xwiki platform legacy notification activitymacro in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 13.10.11), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.platform 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 platform legacy notification activitymacro, 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 Any user with view rights on commonly accessible documents including the legacy notification activity macro can execute arbitrary Groovy, Python or Velocity code in XWiki leading to full access to the XWiki installation. The root cause is improper escaping of the macro parameters of the [legacy notification activity macro](https://extensions.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Extension/Legacy%20Notification%20Activity%20Macro/). This macro is installed by default in XWiki. A proof of concept exploit is ``` {{activity wikis="~" /~}~} {{async async=~"true~" cached=~"false~" context=~"doc.reference~"~}~}{{groovy~}~}println(~"Hello from Groovy!~"){{/groovy~}~}"/}} ``` If the output of this macro is ``` The [notifications] macro is a standalone macro and it cannot be used inline. Click on this message for details. Hello from Groovy!" displayMinorEvents="false" displayRSSLink="false" /}} ``` or similar, the XWiki installation is vulnerable. The vulnerability can be exploited via every wiki page that is editable including the user's profile, but also with just view rights using the HTMLConverter that is part of the [CKEditor integration](https://extensions.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Extension/CKEditor%20Integration/) which is bundled with XWiki. ### Patches The vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 13.10.11, 14.4.7 and 14.10. ### Workarounds The issue can be fixed by replacing the code of the legacy notification activity macro by the [patched version](https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/94392490884635c028199275db059a4f471e57bc). Alternatively, if the macro isn't used, the document `XWiki.Notifications.Code.Legacy.ActivityMacro` can also be completely deleted. ### References * https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/94392490884635c028199275db059a4f471e57bc * https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20258 ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue in [Jira XWiki.org](https://jira.xwiki.org/) * Email us at [Security Mailing List](mailto:security@xwiki.org)

CVE-2023-29209 Affected Xwiki platform legacy notification activitymacro Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
13.10.1114.4.714.10
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro
Maven
≥ 10.9
< 13.10.11
13.10.11
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro
Maven
≥ 14.0-rc-1
< 14.4.7
14.4.7
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro
Maven
≥ 14.5
< 14.10
14.10

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-29209?
CVE-2023-29209 is a security vulnerability in Xwiki platform legacy notification activitymacro involving xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro Eval Injection vulnerability under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Xwiki platform legacy notification activitymacro versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 13.10.11, 14.4.7, 14.10 across affected packages: org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro.
What version fixes CVE-2023-29209?
Upgrading to 13.10.11, 14.4.7, 14.10 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro affected?
Yes, org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro is affected in releases prior to 13.10.11, 14.4.7, 14.10. Upgrade your dependency to 13.10.11, 14.4.7, 14.10 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-29209?
CVE-2023-29209 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.9 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-29209?
CVE-2023-29209 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (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.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-29209?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.xwiki.platform'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9pc2-x9qf-7j2q",
  "modified" : "2023-04-16T07:16:33Z",
  "published" : "2023-04-12T20:35:03Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-29209" ],
  "summary" : "org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro Eval Injection vulnerability",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nAny user with view rights on commonly accessible documents including the legacy notification activity macro can execute arbitrary Groovy, Python or Velocity code in XWiki leading to full access to the XWiki installation. The root cause is improper escaping of the macro parameters of the [legacy notification activity macro](https://extensions.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Extension/Legacy%20Notification%20Activity%20Macro/). This macro is installed by default in XWiki.\n\nA proof of concept exploit is\n\n```\n{{activity wikis=\"~\" /~}~} {{async async=~\"true~\" cached=~\"false~\" context=~\"doc.reference~\"~}~}{{groovy~}~}println(~\"Hello from Groovy!~\"){{/groovy~}~}\"/}}\n```\n\nIf the output of this macro is\n```\nThe [notifications] macro is a standalone macro and it cannot be used inline. Click on this message for details.\nHello from Groovy!\"    displayMinorEvents=\"false\" displayRSSLink=\"false\" /}}\n```\nor similar, the XWiki installation is vulnerable. The vulnerability can be exploited via every wiki page that is editable including the user's profile, but also with just view rights using the HTMLConverter that is part of the [CKEditor integration](https://extensions.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Extension/CKEditor%20Integration/) which is bundled with XWiki.\n\n### Patches\nThe vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 13.10.11, 14.4.7 and 14.10.\n\n### Workarounds\nThe issue can be fixed by replacing the code of the legacy notification activity macro by the [patched version](https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/94392490884635c028199275db059a4f471e57bc). Alternatively, if the macro isn't used, the document `XWiki.Notifications.Code.Legacy.ActivityMacro` can also be completely deleted.\n\n### References\n* https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/94392490884635c028199275db059a4f471e57bc\n* https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20258\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n* Open an issue in [Jira XWiki.org](https://jira.xwiki.org/)\n* Email us at [Security Mailing List](mailto:security@xwiki.org)\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "10.9"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "13.10.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "14.0-rc-1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "14.4.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-notification-activitymacro"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "14.5"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "14.10"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/security/advisories/GHSA-9pc2-x9qf-7j2q"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-29209"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/94392490884635c028199275db059a4f471e57bc"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20258"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94", "CWE-95" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-04-12T20:35:03Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-04-15T17:15:00Z"
  }
}