CVE-2023-37909 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) CWE-95 vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Privilege escalation (PR)/remote code execution from account through Menu.UIExtensionSheet
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-37909.
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-2023-37909 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 377,636 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-menu☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu-ui☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu-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
Impact
Any user who can edit their own user profile can execute arbitrary script macros including Groovy and Python macros that allow remote code execution including unrestricted read and write access to all wiki contents. This can be reproduced with the following steps:
- As an advanced user, use the object editor to add an object of type
UIExtensionClassto your user profile. Set the value "Extension Point ID" to{{/html}}{{async async=false cache=false}}{{groovy}}println("Hello from Groovy!"){{/groovy}}{{/async}} - Open
<xwiki-host>/xwiki/bin/edit/XWiki/<username>?sheet=Menu.UIExtensionSheetwhere<xwiki-host>is the URL of your XWiki installation and<username>is your user name.
If the text Hello from Groovy!" selected="selected"> is displayed in the output, the attack succeeded.
Patches
This has been patched in XWiki 14.10.8 and 15.3 RC1 by adding proper escaping.
Workarounds
The patch can be manually applied to the document Menu.UIExtensionSheet, only three lines need to be changed.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu | ≥ 5.1-rc-1&&< 14.10.8 | 14.10.8org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu:14.10.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu-ui | ≥ 5.1-rc-1&&< 14.10.8 | 14.10.8org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu-ui:14.10.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu-ui | ≥ 15.0-rc-1&&< 15.3-rc-1 | 15.3-rc-1org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu-ui:15.3-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-menu, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-menu to 14.10.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-37909 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-2023-37909 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-37909. 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-2023-37909 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-37909 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.