CVE-2024-31997 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) CWE-862 vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api — see the affected versions and patch details below.
XWiki Platform remote code execution from account through UIExtension parameters
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-2024-31997.
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-2024-31997 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE sits: patch-first territory.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,636 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% 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-uiextension-api☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-apiReal-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
Parameters of UI extensions are always interpreted as Velocity code and executed with programming rights. Any user with edit right on any document like the user's own profile can create UI extensions. This allows remote code execution and thereby impacts the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki installation.
To reproduce, edit your user profile with the object editor and add a UIExtension object with the following values:
Extension Point ID: org.xwiki.platform.panels.Applications
Extension ID: platform.panels.myFakeApplication
Extension parameters:
label=I got programming right: $services.security.authorization.hasAccess('programming')
target=Main.WebHome
targetQueryString=
icon=icon:bomb
Extension Scope: "Current User".
Save the document and open any document. If an application entry with the text "I got programming right: true" is displayed, the attack succeeded, if the code in "label" is displayed literally, the XWiki installation isn't vulnerable.
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.19, 15.5.4 and 15.9-RC1.
Workarounds
We're not aware of any workarounds apart from upgrading.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api | all versions | 14.10.19org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api:14.10.19 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api | ≥ 15.0-rc-1&&< 15.5.4 | 15.5.4org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api:15.5.4 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api | ≥ 15.6-rc-1&&< 15.9-rc-1 | 15.9-rc-1org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api:15.9-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-uiextension-api, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-uiextension-api to 14.10.19 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-31997 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-2024-31997 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2024-31997. 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-2024-31997 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2024-31997 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.