Semantic MediaWiki affected by reflected XSS in `Special:Ask` via a forged cursor pagination token
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Cross-site scripting
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-79.
Summary
Semantic MediaWiki is a free, open-source extension to MediaWiki that lets users store and query data within the wiki's pages. In versions 7.0.0 through 7.1.0, `Special:Ask` accepts a `cursor` query parameter for keyset pagination (added in 7.0.0). The token is decoded by `CursorEncoder`, which is an **unsigned** base64url-encoded JSON blob, so its contents are fully attacker-controlled. When the cursor's sort anchor does not match the request's `sort=` / `order=`, `QueryCreator::applyCursorIfRequested()` builds an error message by interpolating the attacker-controlled `sort_prop` / `sort_order` values into a raw string via `Query::addErrors()`. Unlike SMW's message-key errors, this raw string bypasses the message layer's sanitization (`ProcessingErrorMsgHandler::normalizeAndDecodeMessages()` passes a non-key, non-encoded string through unchanged). `ErrorWidget::queryError()` then assembles the errors and passes them to `Html::errorBox()`, whose first argument is emitted as raw HTML. The result is a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability: a crafted `cursor` token containing markup in `sort_prop` (or `sort_order`) executes script in the victim's browser on the wiki origin. No authentication or special permission is required. The payload is delivered via a crafted link. Version 7.2.0 contains a fix.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SemanticMediaWiki | SemanticMediaWiki | 7.0.0 to before 7.2.0 | 7.2.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | mediawiki/semantic-media-wiki (Packagist) | 7.0.0 to before 7.2.0 | 7.2.0 | Patch available | GHSA-cx86-7xwp-w9wf |
- SemanticMediaWiki VendorSemanticMediaWiki Affected 7.0.0 to before 7.2.0 Fixed in 7.2.0 Patch available CNA
- mediawiki/semantic-media-wiki (Packagist) Vendor— Affected 7.0.0 to before 7.2.0 Fixed in 7.2.0 Patch available GHSA-cx86-7xwp-w9wf
CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1
Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:semantic-mediawiki:semantic_mediawiki:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | — | — | SemanticMediaWiki |
- cpe:2.3:a:semantic-mediawiki:semantic_mediawiki:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·SemanticMediaWiki
Remediation
- Fix · CNA SemanticMediaWiki (SemanticMediaWiki) Fixed in 7.2.0
- Fix · GHSA-cx86-7xwp-w9wf mediawiki/semantic-media-wiki (Packagist) Fixed in 7.2.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-77616
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-cx86-7xwp-w9wf
References
More SemanticMediaWiki vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-81081 Resource exhaustion in Semantic MediaWiki via #set_recurring_event CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-81076 Semantic MediaWiki search lets attackers exhaust CPU via long terms CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-81075 Uncontrolled recursion in Semantic MediaWiki via Special:Ask CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2025-38114 Semantic MediaWiki vulnerable to stored XSS through wikitext via improper use of non-reserved data attributes CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
- TI-2026-81077 Missing authorization in Semantic MediaWiki smwtask API CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 6.9
- TI-2026-81084 Cross-site request forgery in Semantic MediaWiki SMWAdmin page CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.1
Sources
- CVE-2026-77616 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-77616 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-cx86-7xwp-w9wf · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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