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XwikiApplication

CVE-2025-51991

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-08-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 17.3.0 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Public exploit Remotely reachable 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
XWiki through version 17.3.0 is vulnerable to Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) in the Administration interface, specifically within the HTTP Meta Info field of the Global Preferences Presentation section. An authenticated administrator can inject crafted Apache Velocity template code, which is rendered on the server side without proper validation or sandboxing. This enables the execution of arbitrary template logic, which may expose internal server information or, in specific configurations, lead to further exploitation such as remote code execution or sensitive data leakage. The vulnerability resides in improper handling of dynamic template rendering within user-supplied configuration fields.

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
How this class of weakness works · CWE-79

Untrusted input is placed into a web page without being neutralised, so an attacker's markup or script executes in another user's browser. That can hijack sessions, capture keystrokes, or silently perform actions as the victim. Fixing it properly means context-aware output encoding everywhere data meets HTML, backed by a content-security policy as a second line of defence.

General guidance for the cross-site scripting (xss) class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

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
XwikiApplication
Affected:<= 17.3.0

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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 a release after 17.3.0
Recommended fix Moderate confidence

XWiki 17.4.0 or later

  1. 1. Backup your XWiki database and configuration files before performing any upgrade.
  2. 2. Identify your current XWiki version by checking the Administration > Information page or the version.properties file.
  3. 3. Download XWiki 17.4.0 or later from the official XWiki downloads page (xwiki.org).
  4. 4. Review the XWiki upgrade guide for your specific upgrade path at https://www.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Documentation/AdminGuide/Installation/.
  5. 5. Execute the database migration scripts provided with the new version.
  6. 6. Clear all caches (application, browser) after upgrade.
  7. 7. Verify the HTTP Meta Info field in Administration > Global Preferences > Presentation no longer executes Velocity code.
  8. 8. Test that other admin functionality works correctly after upgrade.
Caveat Review release notes for deprecation warnings and breaking changes between 17.3.x and 17.4.x; some extensions may require updates

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

We can identify the exact fixed release, upgrade, and verify it in staging — typical engagement from $1,250. Get the upgrade done

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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-2025-51991 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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