VulnerabilityPublished 15 Dec 2025

CVE-2023-53884: Webedition CMS · Cross-site Scripting

Affects Webedition CMSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.1 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

5.1Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Passive
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: Low
Subsequent system integrity: Low
Subsequent system availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker requires privileges that provide basic capabilities that are typically limited to settings and resources owned by a single low-privileged user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges has the ability to access only non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: Passive: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires limited interaction by the targeted user with the vulnerable system and the attacker’s payload. These interactions would be considered involuntary and do not require that the user actively subvert protections built into the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the Subsequent System.
Subsequent system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Subsequent System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Dec 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Webedition Webedition CMS	Affected =2.9.8.8	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Organizations should immediately audit their Webedition CMS installations to identify any running version 2.9.8.8 and restrict media upload permissions to trusted users only. Implement strict input validation and sanitization for SVG files, potentially disabling SVG uploads if not essential. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution from untrusted sources and limit the impact of any injected scripts. Monitor CMS logs for unusual upload activity or access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. Educate users to be cautious when interacting with uploaded media files and consider deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules targeting SVG-based XSS payloads. If possible, isolate the CMS environment to minimize lateral movement risks. Stay alert for official patches or updates from the vendor and apply them promptly once available. Additionally, conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on media upload functionalities to detect similar vulnerabilities.

Description

CVE-2023-53884 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Webedition CMS version 2.9.8.8. Authenticated users can upload malicious SVG files containing embedded JavaScript via the media upload feature. When other users view these SVG files, the embedded scripts execute, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation. The vulnerability requires authentication and some user interaction to trigger the script execution. It has a CVSS 4.0 score of 5.1, indicating medium severity.

Impact

For European organizations using Webedition CMS 2.9.8.8, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized script execution within the context of the CMS, potentially compromising user sessions and sensitive data. Attackers with authenticated access could upload malicious SVG files that, when viewed by other users, execute arbitrary JavaScript, enabling actions such as credential theft, privilege escalation, or further exploitation of internal systems. This risk is particularly significant for organizations relying on Webedition CMS for public-facing or internal content management, as it could undermine trust and lead to data breaches. The medium severity rating reflects the requirement for authentication and user interaction, limiting the attack surface but not eliminating risk. Given the widespread use of CMS platforms in Europe for government, education, and enterprise websites, exploitation could disrupt operations or lead to reputational damage. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against high-value European entities that use this CMS, especially if combined with social engineering to increase user interaction likelihood.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 22 Dec 2025, 21:52 UTC

Technical details

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