CVE-2023-37912 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) CWE-270 vulnerability in org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes — see the affected versions and patch details below.
XWiki Rendering's footnote macro vulnerable to privilege escalation via the footnote macro
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-2023-37912.
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-2023-37912 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 378,156 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.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes☕org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-core-rendering-macro-footnotesReal-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
The footnote macro executed its content in a potentially different context than the one in which it was defined. In particular in combination with the include macro, this allows privilege escalation from a simple user account in XWiki to programming rights and thus remote code execution, impacting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki installation.
To reproduce, perform the following steps:
- Edit your user profile with the object editor and add an object of type DocumentSheetBinding with value XWiki.ClassSheet
- Edit your user profile with the wiki editor and add the syntax
{{footnote}}{{groovy}}println("Hello " + "from groovy!"){{/groovy}}{{/footnote}}
When the text "Hello from groovy!" is displayed at the bottom of the document, the installation is vulnerable. Instead, an error should be displayed.
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.6 and 15.1-rc-1.
Workarounds
There is no workaround apart from upgrading to a fixed version of the footnote macro.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes | all versions | 14.10.6org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes:14.10.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes | ≥ 15.0-rc-1&&< 15.1-rc-1 | 15.1-rc-1org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes:15.1-rc-1 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-core-rendering-macro-footnotes | all versions | 14.10.6org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-core-rendering-macro-footnotes:14.10.6 |
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.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-macro-footnotes to 14.10.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-37912 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-2023-37912 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-37912. 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-2023-37912 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-37912 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.