CVE-2022-41933 is a vulnerability affecting the XWiki Platform, a widely used generic wiki platform that provides runtime services for applications built on top of it. The vulnerability specifically concerns the 'reset a forgotten password' feature accessible via the 'Forgot your password' link on the login page. In affected versions (from 13.1RC1 up to but not including 13.10.8, and from 14.0.0 up to but not including 14.4.3), when a user resets their forgotten password, the new password is stored in plaintext within the database. This cleartext storage violates secure password handling best practices and exposes sensitive user credentials to anyone with database access or the ability to exploit other vulnerabilities that leak database contents. Notably, this vulnerability does not affect password changes initiated by the user or administrators, nor does it impact users registered on subwikis in farm configurations due to an unrelated bug. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-312, which covers the cleartext storage of sensitive information. The issue was patched in versions 13.10.8, 14.4.3, and 14.6RC1, with the patch involving a migration process that removes plaintext passwords from the database and notifies affected users via email. Administrators have options during migration to either reset impacted users' passwords forcibly or retain the passwords but store them hashed. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous when combined with other vulnerabilities that allow data leaks, such as GHSA-599v-w48h-rjrm, as it could lead to exposure of user passwords. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time, but the risk remains significant due to the sensitivity of stored credentials and the potential for chained attacks.

For European organizations using affected versions of XWiki Platform, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to user credential confidentiality. If attackers gain access to the database or exploit other vulnerabilities to leak data, they could retrieve plaintext passwords, potentially enabling unauthorized access to user accounts and lateral movement within organizational networks. This could lead to data breaches, loss of intellectual property, and reputational damage. The impact is amplified in environments where XWiki is used for sensitive collaboration or documentation, including governmental, financial, or healthcare sectors prevalent in Europe. Additionally, since the vulnerability only affects the password reset feature, users who frequently use this feature are at higher risk. The exposure of plaintext passwords could also facilitate credential stuffing attacks if users reuse passwords across services. The need to notify users and force password resets may cause operational disruptions and require additional support resources. However, the vulnerability does not affect all user accounts (e.g., subwiki users in farm setups), somewhat limiting the scope. Overall, the vulnerability undermines trust in the platform's security and could have cascading effects if combined with other vulnerabilities or insider threats.

European organizations should immediately verify their XWiki Platform versions and upgrade to patched versions 13.10.8, 14.4.3, or later. During the upgrade, administrators should carefully plan the migration process to remove plaintext passwords from the database. It is recommended to enforce the default migration option that resets impacted users' passwords to ensure no plaintext credentials remain accessible. Organizations should also audit their databases and logs for any unauthorized access or suspicious activity related to password data. Implementing strict database access controls and monitoring is critical to prevent exploitation. Additionally, organizations should review and patch any other vulnerabilities that could enable data leakage, such as GHSA-599v-w48h-rjrm, to reduce the risk of chained attacks. User education campaigns should be conducted to inform users about the password reset process and encourage the use of strong, unique passwords. Where possible, integrating multi-factor authentication (MFA) with XWiki login processes can mitigate the risk of compromised passwords being abused. Finally, organizations should consider isolating XWiki databases and applying encryption at rest to further protect sensitive data.