# CVE-2026-33229: XWiki Platform sandbox bypass in Velocity scripting API

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-33229-xwiki-platform-sandbox-bypass-in-velocity-scripting-api  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-04-08. Updated: 2026-07-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-33229 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Published 2026-04-08

XWiki is a collaborative platform used by organizations to manage knowledge and build internal applications. A security flaw in its scripting engine allows users with basic 'script' permissions to bypass security restrictions and execute unauthorized code on the server. This could allow an attacker to take full control of the XWiki instance, leading to the theft of sensitive data, modification of content, or a complete service shutdown.

Technologies: [org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-oldcore (Maven)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/org-xwiki-platform-xwiki-platform-legacy-oldcore), [org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (Maven)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/org-xwiki-platform-xwiki-platform-oldcore), [Xwiki Platform](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/platform). Vendors: [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven), [Xwiki](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/xwiki).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-33229 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-33229 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-33229?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 8 April 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-oldcore (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=17.0.0-rc-1,fixed=17.4.8; org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=17.0.0-rc-1,fixed=17.4.8; Xwiki Platform >= 17.0.0-rc-1, < 17.4.8; >= 17.5.0-rc-1, < 17.10.1; Xwiki Platform Legacy Oldcore >= 17.0.0-rc-1, < 17.4.8; >= 17.5.0-rc-1, < 17.10.1; and 1 more.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-33229?** Yes. org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-oldcore (Maven): upgrade to 17.4.8 or later; org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (Maven): upgrade to 17.4.8 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-33229 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-33229?** Check whether you run org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-oldcore (Maven), org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (Maven), Xwiki Platform or one of the others listed 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

- org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-oldcore (Maven): upgrade to 17.4.8 or later

  ```sh
  # set org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-legacy-oldcore to 17.4.8 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```

- org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore (Maven): upgrade to 17.4.8 or later

  ```sh
  # set org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore to 17.4.8 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```


## Technical details

A sandbox bypass vulnerability exists in XWiki Platform's Velocity scripting API. The root cause is an improperly protected scripting API, specifically within ScriptXWikiServletRequest#getRequest(), which allows access to the underlying ServletContext. An authenticated attacker with 'script' rights can use this access to instantiate arbitrary classes (such as JPythonInterpreter) via the Tomcat InstanceManager, bypassing the Velocity sandbox to execute arbitrary Python scripts or OS commands. This vulnerability affects XWiki versions starting from 17.0.0-rc-1 and is fixed in versions 17.4.8 and 17.10.1 by requiring 'programming' rights to access the sensitive API.

## Affected products

- XWiki XWiki Platform >= 17.0.0-rc-1, < 17.4.8; >= 17.5.0-rc-1, < 17.10.1
- org.xwiki.platform xwiki-platform-oldcore >= 17.0.0-rc-1, < 17.4.8; >= 17.5.0-rc-1, < 17.10.1
- org.xwiki.platform xwiki-platform-legacy-oldcore >= 17.0.0-rc-1, < 17.4.8; >= 17.5.0-rc-1, < 17.10.1

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-33229
- GHSA-h259-74h5-4rh9

## Timeline

- 2025-11-07: other: Initial bug report in XWiki Jira
- 2025-12-10: patched: Issue resolved in development branch
- 2026-04-08: disclosed: Security advisory published

## References

- [https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/9fe84da66184c05953df9466cf3a4acd15a46e63](https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/9fe84da66184c05953df9466cf3a4acd15a46e63)
- [https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/security/advisories/GHSA-h259-74h5-4rh9](https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/security/advisories/GHSA-h259-74h5-4rh9)
- [https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-23698](https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-23698)
- [https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-23702](https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-23702)

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