Stored XSS leads to privilege escalation in MediaWiki v1.40.0
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Cross-site scripting
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-79.
Summary
Mediawiki v1.40.0 does not validate namespaces used in XML files. Therefore, if the instance administrator allows XML file uploads, a remote attacker with a low-privileged user account can use this exploit to become an administrator by sending a malicious link to the instance administrator.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mediawiki | MediaWiki | 1.40.0 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- MediaWiki Vendormediawiki Affected 1.40.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 3.11 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-3550
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-4pqg-hr8r-h5cw
References
Advisory 2
More Mediawiki vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-18933 An issue was discovered in the CheckUser extension for MediaWiki through 1.39.3. CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-13576 An issue was discovered in MediaWiki before 1.35.10, 1.36.x through 1.38.x before 1.38.6… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-42109 Cross-site request forgery in Wikimedia Foundation Mediawiki - RedirectManager Extension CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 6.9
- TI-2024-22822 An issue was discovered in includes/CommentFormatter/CommentParser.php in MediaWiki… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.4
- TI-2023-18935 An issue was discovered in the ProofreadPage (aka Proofread Page) extension for MediaWiki… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
- TI-2023-18931 An issue was discovered in SubmitEntityAction in Wikibase in MediaWiki through 1.39.3. CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
Sources
- CVE-2023-3550 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-3550 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-4pqg-hr8r-h5cw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2023-3550 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences