GHSA-wc53-4255-gw3f is a high-severity (CVSS 7.7) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.xwiki.contrib.jira:jira-macro-default. A fix is available for org.xwiki.contrib.jira:jira-macro-default — see the affected versions and patch details below.
The XWiki JIRA extension allows data leak through an XXE attack by using a fake JIRA server
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-wc53-4255-gw3f.
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-wc53-4255-gw3f 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 377,166 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.contrib.jira:jira-macro-defaultReal-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 the JIRA macro is installed, any logged in XWiki user could edit his/her user profile wiki page and use that JIRA macro, specifying a fake JIRA URL that returns an XML specifying a DOCTYPE pointing to a local file on the XWiki server host and displaying that file's content in one of the returned JIRA fields (such as the summary or description for example).
For example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [ <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd"> ]>
<rss version="0.92">
...
<item>
<title>&xxe;</title>
<link>https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XE-307</link>
<project id="10222" key="XE">{RETIRED} XWiki Enterprise</project>
<description>&xxe;</description>
<environment/>
...
Patches
The vulnerability has been patched in the JIRA Extension v8.6.5.
Workarounds
No easy workaround except to upgrade (which is easy using the XWiki Extension Manager).
References
- https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/jira/commit/98a74c2a516b42689c73b13ecd94e9c1998fa9cb and https://github.com/xwiki-contrib/jira/commit/5049e352d16f8356734de70daf1202301f170ee6
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/JIRA-49
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.contrib.jira:jira-macro-default | ≥ 4.2&&< 8.5.6 | 8.5.6org.xwiki.contrib.jira:jira-macro-default:8.5.6 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.xwiki.contrib.jira:jira-macro-default, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.xwiki.contrib.jira:jira-macro-default to 8.5.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-wc53-4255-gw3f 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-wc53-4255-gw3f can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-wc53-4255-gw3f. 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-wc53-4255-gw3f in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-wc53-4255-gw3f across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.