CVE-2024-31988 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.6) Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui — see the affected versions and patch details below.
XWiki Platform CSRF remote code execution through the realtime HTML Converter API
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-2024-31988.
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-2024-31988 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 379,145 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-realtime-ui☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-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
When the realtime editor is installed in XWiki, it allows arbitrary remote code execution with the interaction of an admin user with programming right. More precisely, by getting an admin user to either visit a crafted URL or to view an image with this URL that could be in a comment, the attacker can get the admin to execute arbitrary XWiki syntax including scripting macros with Groovy or Python code. This compromises the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki installation.
To reproduce on an XWiki installation, as an admin, click on <xwiki-host>/xwiki/bin/get/RTFrontend/ConvertHTML?wiki=xwiki&space=Main&page=WebHome&text=%7B%7Bvelocity%7D%7D%24logtool.error%28%22Hello%20from%20Velocity%20%21%22%29%7B%7B%2Fvelocity%7D%7D. If the error "Hello from Velocity!" gets logged then the installation is vulnerable.
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.19, 15.5.4 and 15.9.
Workarounds
Update RTFrontend.ConvertHTML following this patch.
This will, however, break some synchronization processes in the realtime editor, so upgrading should be the preferred way on installations where this editor is used.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui | ≥ 13.9-rc-1&&< 14.10.19 | 14.10.19org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui:14.10.19 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui | ≥ 15.0-rc-1&&< 15.5.4 | 15.5.4org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui:15.5.4 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui | ≥ 15.6-rc-1&&< 15.9 | 15.9org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui:15.9 |
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-realtime-ui, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-realtime-ui to 14.10.19 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-31988 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-2024-31988 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2024-31988. 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-2024-31988 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2024-31988 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.