CVE-2023-22849 — org.apache.sling.cms
MEDIUMCVE-2023-22849 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.cms. A fix is available for org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.cms — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache Sling App CMS: XSS in CMS Reference / UI Components
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-22849.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2023-22849 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.cmsReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
An improper neutralization of input during web page generation ('Cross-site Scripting') [CWE-79] vulnerability in Sling App CMS version 1.1.4 and prior may allow an authenticated remote attacker to perform a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) attack in multiple features.
Upgrade to Apache Sling App CMS >= 1.1.6
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.cms | all versions | 1.1.6org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.cms:1.1.6 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.cms, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.cms to 1.1.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-22849 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2023-22849 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-22849. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-22849 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-22849 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.