# CVE-2026-116885: Semantic MediaWiki reflected XSS in Special:SMWAdmin ID lookup

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-116885-semantic-mediawiki-from-3-1-0-before-7-3-1-contains-a-reflected  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-27. Updated: 2026-10-27  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-116885 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.1 · Published 2026-10-27

Semantic MediaWiki is an extension for MediaWiki that enables structured data management and semantic queries on wiki sites. A reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Special:SMWAdmin ID lookup feature allows an attacker to inject malicious code that executes in the browser of an administrator who opens a crafted link. An attacker can exploit this to steal the administrator's session token, perform unauthorized actions, or compromise the administrator's account without requiring any authentication from the attacker themselves.

Technologies: [Semantic MediaWiki](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/semantic-mediawiki). Vendors: [Semantic MediaWiki](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/semantic-mediawiki).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-116885 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-116885 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-116885?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.1, published 27 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Semantic MediaWiki 3.1.0 to 7.3.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-116885?** Yes: fixed in 7.3.1. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-116885 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-116885?** Check whether you run Semantic MediaWiki at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in 7.3.1

## Technical details

A reflected XSS vulnerability exists in the Special:SMWAdmin ID lookup handler (EntityLookupTaskHandler::createMessageFromRows) where the unescaped, user-controlled id parameter is embedded into an HTML warning message using plain-text message mode without HTML escaping. The vulnerability is reachable by any unauthenticated attacker via a crafted GET request, but the payload only executes in the context of an authenticated smw-admin administrator because execute() enforces role-based access control. The CSRF token check is bypassed automatically as the special page overwrites the request's token with the current user's own token before routing.

## Affected products

- Semantic MediaWiki Semantic MediaWiki 3.1.0 to 7.3.0

## Timeline

- 2026-09-28: disclosed
- 2026-10-27: advisory

## References

- [https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-4fr3-ghqj-28wx](https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-4fr3-ghqj-28wx)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/semantic-mediawiki-before-7.3.1-reflected-xss-via-special-smwadmin-id-parameter](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/semantic-mediawiki-before-7.3.1-reflected-xss-via-special-smwadmin-id-parameter)

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