CVE-2025-32970 is an open redirect vulnerability (CWE-601) identified in the XWiki platform, a widely used generic wiki software. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of XWiki, specifically from 13.5-rc-1 up to but not including 15.10.13, from 16.0.0-rc-1 up to but not including 16.4.4, and from 16.5.0-rc-1 up to but not including 16.8.0. The flaw resides in the HTML conversion request filter component of the platform, which improperly handles URL redirection parameters. This allows an attacker to craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by a user, redirect them to arbitrary external sites without proper validation or restriction. Such open redirects can be exploited in phishing campaigns, social engineering attacks, or to bypass security controls such as same-origin policies. The vulnerability does not require any authentication (PR:N) but does require user interaction (UI:R) since the victim must click on the malicious URL. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), meaning exploitation can be attempted remotely over the internet. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent by potentially exposing users to malicious external sites or facilitating further attacks, but it does not affect availability. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (medium severity), reflecting its moderate risk. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. Patches addressing this issue have been released in versions 15.10.13, 16.4.4, and 16.8.0 of the XWiki platform, and users are strongly advised to upgrade to these or later versions to remediate the vulnerability.

For European organizations using the XWiki platform, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily through social engineering and phishing attacks. Attackers can leverage the open redirect to craft URLs that appear to originate from a trusted internal wiki, increasing the likelihood that users will click on malicious links leading to credential theft, malware delivery, or other malicious sites. This can undermine user trust in internal collaboration tools and potentially lead to data leakage or compromise of user credentials if combined with other attack vectors. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise the XWiki platform's data or availability, the indirect effects on confidentiality and integrity through user deception can be significant, especially in sectors with high security requirements such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure. The scope of impact depends on the extent of XWiki deployment within the organization and the user base's susceptibility to phishing. Given the collaborative nature of wikis, the vulnerability could also facilitate lateral movement if attackers gain initial footholds via redirected malicious payloads. Organizations relying on XWiki for documentation, knowledge sharing, or internal communication should consider this vulnerability a vector for targeted attacks against their employees or partners.

1. Immediate upgrade: Organizations should promptly upgrade all affected XWiki instances to the patched versions 15.10.13, 16.4.4, or 16.8.0 or later to eliminate the vulnerability. 2. URL filtering and validation: Implement strict URL filtering on web gateways and email security solutions to detect and block suspicious URLs that exploit open redirects, especially those originating from internal XWiki domains redirecting externally. 3. User awareness training: Educate users about the risks of clicking on unexpected or suspicious links within internal wiki pages or emails, emphasizing verification of URLs before clicking. 4. Monitor logs: Enable detailed logging of HTTP requests to the XWiki platform and monitor for unusual redirect patterns or spikes in redirection requests that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Content security policy (CSP): Where possible, enforce CSP headers to restrict the domains to which redirections or external content can be loaded from the wiki platform. 6. Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Although not directly mitigating the open redirect, enforcing MFA on critical systems can reduce the impact of credential theft resulting from phishing attacks leveraging this vulnerability. 7. Incident response readiness: Prepare to respond to phishing or social engineering campaigns that may exploit this vulnerability by having clear reporting and remediation procedures.