CVE-2025-53836 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) Code Injection vulnerability in org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro. A fix is available for org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro — see the affected versions and patch details below.
XWiki Rendering is vulnerable to RCE attacks when processing nested macros
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-2025-53836.
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-2025-53836 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 378,567 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-transformation-macro☕org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro☕org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macroReal-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 default macro content parser didn't preserve the restricted attribute of the transformation context when executing nested macros. This allows executing macros that are normally forbidden in restricted mode, in particular script macros. The cache and chart macros that are bundled in XWiki use the vulnerable feature. The following XWiki syntax, when used inside a comment in XWiki, demonstrates the privilege escalation from comment right to programming right and thus remote code execution (RCE) that is possible due to this:
{{cache}}{{groovy}}println("Hello from Groovy!"){{/groovy}}{{/cache}}
This vulnerability exists since the restricted attribute has been added to the transformation context in version 4.2.
Patches
This has been patched in XWiki 13.10.11, 14.4.7 and 14.10.
Workarounds
To avoid the exploitation of this bug, comments can be disabled for untrusted users until an upgrade to a patched version has been performed. Note that users with edit rights will still be able to add comments via the object editor even if comments have been disabled.
Resources
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-rendering/commit/c73fa3ccd4ac59057e48e5d4325f659e78e8f86d
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XRENDERING-689
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20375
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in Jira XWiki.org
- Email us at Security Mailing List
Attribution
This vulnerability has been reported on Intigriti by René de Sain @renniepak.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro | ≥ 4.2-milestone-1&&< 13.10.11 | 13.10.11org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro:13.10.11 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro | ≥ 14.0&&< 14.4.7 | 14.4.7org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro:14.4.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro | ≥ 14.5&&< 14.10 | 14.10org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro:14.10 |
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-transformation-macro, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.rendering:xwiki-rendering-transformation-macro to 13.10.11 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-53836 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-2025-53836 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2025-53836. 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-2025-53836 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2025-53836 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.