GHSA-2858-8cfx-69m9
CRITICALXWiki Platform: Remote code execution as guest via DatabaseSearch
Blast Radius
org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-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
XWiki's database search allows remote code execution through the search text. This allows remote code execution for any visitor of a public wiki or user of a closed wiki as the database search is by default accessible for all users. This impacts the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the whole XWiki installation.
To reproduce on an instance, without being logged in, go to <hostname>/xwiki/bin/get/Main/DatabaseSearch?outputSyntax=plain&text=%7D%7D%7D%7B%7Basync%20async%3Dfalse%7D%7D%7B%7Bgroovy%7D%7Dprintln%28%22Hello%20from%22%20%2B%20%22%20search%20text%3A%22%20%2B%20%2823%20%2B%2019%29%29%7B%7B%2Fgroovy%7D%7D%7B%7B%2Fasync%7D%7D%20. If the title of the RSS channel contains Hello from search text:42, the instance is vulnerable.
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.20, 15.5.4 and 15.10RC1.
Workarounds
It is possible to manually apply this patch to the page Main.DatabaseSearch. Alternatively, unless database search is explicitly used by users, this page can be deleted as this is not the default search interface of XWiki.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui | ≥ 2.4-milestone-1&&< 14.10.20 | 14.10.20 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui | ≥ 15.0-rc-1&&< 15.5.4 | 15.5.4 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui | ≥ 15.6-rc-1&&< 15.10-rc-1 | 15.10-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-search-ui. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-search-ui to 14.10.20 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-2858-8cfx-69m9 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-2858-8cfx-69m9 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-2858-8cfx-69m9. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-2858-8cfx-69m9 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-2858-8cfx-69m9 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.