Overview
A serious Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-53835, has been discovered in the XWiki Rendering system. This vulnerability affects versions 5.4.5 to prior to version 14.10. The vulnerability leverages the `xdom+xml/current` syntax, which allows the insertion of arbitrary HTML content, including JavaScript, leading to potential XSS attacks. The users most affected are those with editing rights, including the ability to modify their user profile. The severity of this vulnerability underscores the need for immediate attention and remediation, as potential exploitation could lead to significant system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-53835
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.0)
Attack Vector: Web-based (HTTP/HTTPS)
Privileges Required: Low (User interaction)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
XWiki Rendering | 5.4.5 to 14.9
How the Exploit Works
The CVE-2025-53835 vulnerability stems from the ability to create raw blocks through the `xdom+xml/current` syntax in the XWiki Rendering system. This syntax allows the introduction of arbitrary HTML content, including JavaScript. By inserting malicious scripts, an attacker could perform an XSS attack, leading to unauthorized access, data leakage, or even system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example demonstrating how this vulnerability might be exploited. This example leverages a malicious script embedded within a user profile edit request.
POST /user/profile/edit HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: text/html
{ "<script>malicious_code_here</script>" }When a user views the edited profile, the malicious script is executed, potentially leading to unauthorized access or data leakage.
Mitigation Guidance
The recommended mitigation for CVE-2025-53835 is to upgrade the XWiki Rendering system to version 14.10 or later, which removes the dependency on the `xdom+xml/current` syntax from the XHTML syntax. In the absence of an immediate upgrade, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation measure. Furthermore, the `xdom+xml` syntax, which remains vulnerable, should not be installed or used on a regular wiki due to the associated risks.