CVE-2023-27479 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) CWE-74 vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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-2023-27479.
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-2023-27479 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 377,238 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.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-uiReal-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
XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform offering runtime services for applications built on top of it. In affected versions any user with view rights 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 UIX parameters. A proof of concept exploit is to log in, add an XWiki.UIExtensionClass xobject to the user profile page, with an Extension Parameters content containing label={{/html}} {{async async="true" cached="false" context="doc.reference"}}{{groovy}}println("Hello " + "from groovy!"){{/groovy}}{{/async}}. Then, navigating to PanelsCode.ApplicationsPanelConfigurationSheet (i.e., <xwiki-host>/xwiki/bin/view/PanelsCode/ApplicationsPanelConfigurationSheet where <xwiki-host> is the URL of your XWiki installation) should not execute the Groovy script. If it does, you will see Hello from groovy! displayed on the screen. This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 13.10.11, 14.4.7 and 14.10-rc-1. Users are advised to upgrade. For users unable to upgrade the issue can be fixed by editing the PanelsCode.ApplicationsPanelConfigurationSheet wiki page and making the same modifications as shown in commit 6de5442f3c.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui | ≥ 6.3-milestone-2&&< 13.10.11 | 13.10.11org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui:13.10.11 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui | ≥ 14.0&&< 14.4.7 | 14.4.7org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui:14.4.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui | ≥ 14.5&&< 14.10-rc-1 | 14.10-rc-1org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui:14.10-rc-1 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-panels-ui to 13.10.11 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-27479 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-2023-27479 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-27479. 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-2023-27479 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-27479 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.