dbcve.org
MediawikiCMS

CVE-2023-45372

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.35.12 / 1.39.5 or later.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An issue was discovered in the Wikibase extension for MediaWiki before 1.35.12, 1.36.x through 1.39.x before 1.39.5, and 1.40.x before 1.40.1. During item merging, ItemMergeInteractor does not have an edit filter running (e.g., AbuseFilter).

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

During item merging operations in Wikibase (MediaWiki extension), the ItemMergeInteractor bypasses edit filters such as AbuseFilter. This allows item merges to execute without triggering abuse detection mechanisms that normally catch malicious or problematic edit patterns.

MitigationUpgrade MediaWiki and Wikibase extension to version 1.35.12, 1.39.5, 1.40.1 or later to ensure edit filters run during item merge operations.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
MediawikiCMS
Affected:< 1.35.12>= 1.36.0, < 1.39.5= 1.40.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Wikibase extension is installed
    Check your MediaWiki installation for the Wikibase extension. This can be done by looking for the Wikibase directory in your extensions folder, or by checking your LocalSettings.php for lines like 'wfLoadExtension( "Wikibase" )' or 'enableSemantics()'.
    Affected if Wikibase extension is installed and enabled in MediaWiki
  2. Check MediaWiki version against affected ranges
    Access your MediaWiki installation's version page (usually Special:Version) or check the includes/Defines.php file for the MW_VERSION constant. Compare the installed version to the affected ranges: < 1.35.12, >= 1.36.0 but < 1.39.5, or exactly 1.40.0.
    Affected if MediaWiki version falls within < 1.35.12, >= 1.36.0 and < 1.39.5, or equals 1.40.0
  3. Confirm ItemMerge functionality is accessible
    Verify that the Wikibase ItemMerge module is available. This is typically accessible through the API (action=wbmergeitems) or the Special:MergeItems page if Wikibase is fully configured. Check if your MediaWiki API includes the wbmergeitems module.
    Affected if The Wikibase ItemMerge feature is accessible on your installation (the vulnerability exists in the code regardless, but this confirms the attack surface is present)

Your environment is affected if Wikibase is installed and your MediaWiki version matches one of the vulnerable ranges (below 1.35.12, between 1.36.0-1.39.4, or exactly 1.40.0), regardless of whether ItemMerge has been used.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.35.12 / 1.39.5 or later
Fixed in 1.35.121.39.5
Interim mitigation

Upgrade MediaWiki and Wikibase extension to version 1.35.12, 1.39.5, 1.40.1 or later to ensure edit filters run during item merge operations.

Recommended fix High confidence

MediaWiki 1.35.12, 1.39.5, or 1.40.1 (depending on your branch)

  1. 1. Backup your MediaWiki database and files before proceeding
  2. 2. Identify your current MediaWiki version using Special:Version or maintenance script
  3. 3. For MediaWiki 1.35.x: Upgrade to version 1.35.12 or later
  4. 4. For MediaWiki 1.36.x - 1.39.x: Upgrade to version 1.39.5 or later
  5. 5. For MediaWiki 1.40.0: Upgrade to version 1.40.1 or later
  6. 6. Verify the upgrade was successful and the Wikibase extension is functioning correctly
  7. 7. Test that edit filters (AbuseFilter) are now triggered during item merging operations
Caveat Standard MediaWiki upgrade considerations apply - test in staging first, particularly the Wikibase extension functionality

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Mediawiki Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,000
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,800.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-45372 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-45372 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data