GHSA-fp36-mjw5-fmgx — xwiki-platform-web-templa…
MEDIUMGHSA-fp36-mjw5-fmgx is a medium-severity (CVSS 5) CWE-284 vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates. 3 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates — see the affected versions and patch details below.
xwiki-platform-web-templates allows users to be created even when registration is disabled without validation via template 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.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-fp36-mjw5-fmgx.
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
GHSA-fp36-mjw5-fmgx 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-web-templatesReal-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
If a guest has view rights on any document, it's possible to create a new user using the distribution/firstadminuser.wiki in the wrong context.
To reproduce:
- On a wiki with view rights for guests but user registration disabled, open as guest <server>/xwiki/bin/view/Main?sheet=CKEditor.HTMLConverter&language=en&sourceSyntax=xwiki%2F2.1&stripHTMLEnvelope=true&fromHTML=false&toHTML=true&text=%7B%7Btemplate+name%3D%22distribution%2Ffirstadminuser.wiki%22+%2F%7D%7D where <server> is the URL of your XWiki installation.
- Enter username and password of your choice.
- Click "Register and login"
Patches
The vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 15.0-rc-1 and 14.10.1.
Workarounds
There is no known workaround other than upgrading.
References
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-19852 https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20400
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
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates | ≥ 8.0-rc-1&&< 14.10.1 | 14.10.1org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates:14.10.1 |
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-web-templates, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates to 14.10.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-fp36-mjw5-fmgx 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 GHSA-fp36-mjw5-fmgx can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-fp36-mjw5-fmgx. 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-fp36-mjw5-fmgx in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-fp36-mjw5-fmgx across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.