GHSA-gx4f-976g-7g6v is a high-severity (CVSS 7.7) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model — see the affected versions and patch details below.
XWiki Platform vulnerable to data leak via Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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 GHSA-gx4f-976g-7g6v.
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-gx4f-976g-7g6v 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 377,238 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-xar-model☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model☕org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-modelReal-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
Any user with edit rights on a document can trigger a XAR import on a forged XAR file, leading to the ability to display the content of any file on the XWiki server host.
Example to reproduce:
- Create a forget XAR file and inside it, have the following
package.xmlcontent:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE foo [ <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd"> ]> <package> <infos> <name>&xxe;</name> <description> &xxe; Helper pages for creating and listing Class/Template/Sheets</description> <licence></licence> <author>XWiki.Admin</author> ... - Upload it onto a wiki page (e.g.
XXE) as an attachment (e.g.test.xar). - Call the page using
http://localhost:8080/xwiki/bin/view/Main/XXE?sheet=XWiki.AdminImportSheet&file=test.xar
You'll then notice that the displayed UI contains the content of the /etc/passwd file.
Patches
The vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 13.10.11, 14.4.7 and 14.10-rc-1.
Workarounds
You'd need to get XWiki Platform sources and apply the changes from https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/e3527b98fdd8dc8179c24dc55e662b2c55199434 to the XarPackage java class and then copy the modified version to your WEB-INF/classes directory (or rebuild the xwiki-platform-xar-model maven module and replace the one found in WEB-INF/lib/).
References
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/e3527b98fdd8dc8179c24dc55e662b2c55199434
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20320
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-xar-model | ≥ 1.1-milestone-3&&< 13.10.11 | 13.10.11org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model:13.10.11 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model | ≥ 14.0&&< 14.4.7 | 14.4.7org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model:14.4.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model | ≥ 14.5&&< 14.10-rc-1 | 14.10-rc-1org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model:14.10-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-xar-model, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-xar-model to 13.10.11 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-gx4f-976g-7g6v 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-gx4f-976g-7g6v can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-gx4f-976g-7g6v. 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-gx4f-976g-7g6v in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-gx4f-976g-7g6v across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.