GHSA-h8cm-3v5f-rgp6
MEDIUMXWiki Platform Stored Cross-site Scripting in the user profile via the timezone displayer
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.
Blast Radius
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
Any registered user can exploit a stored XSS through their user profile by setting the payload as the value of the time zone user preference. Even though the time zone is selected from a drop down (no free text value) it can still be set from JavaScript (using the browser developer tools) or by calling the save URL on the user profile with the right query string. Once the time zone is set it is displayed without escaping which means the payload gets executed for any user that visits the malicious user profile, allowing the attacker to steal information and even gain more access rights (escalation to programming rights).
The problem is present since version 4.1M2 when the time zone user preference was introduced.
Patches
The issue has been fixed in XWiki 14.10.5 and 15.1RC1 by https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/d11ca5d781f8a42a85bc98eb82306c1431e764d4 . The main fix is in the displayer_timezone.vm precisely at this line:
$!escapetool.xml($value)
By escaping the displayed time zone value we make sure the attacker's payload is not executed.
Workarounds
If you want to fix this problem on older versions of XWiki that have not been patched then you need to edit displayer_timezone.vm and escape the displayed time zone value here:
- $!value
+ $!escapetool.xml($value)
References
- JIRA issue https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20276
- Fix https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/d11ca5d781f8a42a85bc98eb82306c1431e764d4
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 found and reported by @michitux .
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-web-templates | ≥ 4.1-milestone-2&&< 14.10.5 | 14.10.5 |
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. 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-web-templates to 14.10.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-h8cm-3v5f-rgp6 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-h8cm-3v5f-rgp6 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-h8cm-3v5f-rgp6. 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-h8cm-3v5f-rgp6 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-h8cm-3v5f-rgp6 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.