CVE-2026-84231
Apache Wicket: XSS in ExternalLink via the model URL when the component is bound to a non-anchor tag
Description
Improper neutralization of input during web page generation in Apache Wicket. org.apache.wicket.markup.html.link.ExternalLink builds a JavaScript click handler and writes it into the tag's onclick attribute whenever the markup tag the component is bound to is not an a, link or area element. The URL held in the component's model is concatenated into a single-quoted JavaScript string literal in that handler without being escaped for that context. The same happens on the neighbouring branch, taken when popup settings are attached, where the value is concatenated into the window.open() call built by org.apache.wicket.markup.html.link.PopupSettings#getPopupJavaScript(). The only escaping applied is the markup escaping that every attribute value receives as the tag is written, which replaces an apostrophe with a character reference. A browser decodes character references in an attribute value before it compiles the event handler, so the apostrophe is restored, closes the string literal, and the rest of the model value is executed as script in the application's origin. An application is affected where it binds an ExternalLink to a markup tag that is not an anchor, such as a button or a span, and the URL in the model holds data an attacker can influence, which is the ordinary use of the component rather than a misuse of it. Nothing runs until a user activates the element. This issue affects Apache Wicket: from 8.0.0 through 8.19.0. Users of Apache Wicket 7.x or older, which are no longer supported, should upgrade to a supported version. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 8.20.0, which fixes the issue.
INFO
Published Date :
Nov. 1, 2026, 11:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Nov. 1, 2026, 11:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH | f0158376-9dc2-43b6-827c-5f631a4d8d09 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Upgrade to Apache Wicket version 8.20.0.
- Ensure ExternalLink is not bound to non-anchor tags.
- Sanitize user-supplied URLs before setting the model.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-84231.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/39kz9838w25797bpkxn1hvfsm8jtc4zv |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-84231 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-84231
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-84231 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-84231 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Nov. 01, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description Improper neutralization of input during web page generation in Apache Wicket. org.apache.wicket.markup.html.link.ExternalLink builds a JavaScript click handler and writes it into the tag's onclick attribute whenever the markup tag the component is bound to is not an a, link or area element. The URL held in the component's model is concatenated into a single-quoted JavaScript string literal in that handler without being escaped for that context. The same happens on the neighbouring branch, taken when popup settings are attached, where the value is concatenated into the window.open() call built by org.apache.wicket.markup.html.link.PopupSettings#getPopupJavaScript(). The only escaping applied is the markup escaping that every attribute value receives as the tag is written, which replaces an apostrophe with a character reference. A browser decodes character references in an attribute value before it compiles the event handler, so the apostrophe is restored, closes the string literal, and the rest of the model value is executed as script in the application's origin. An application is affected where it binds an ExternalLink to a markup tag that is not an anchor, such as a button or a span, and the URL in the model holds data an attacker can influence, which is the ordinary use of the component rather than a misuse of it. Nothing runs until a user activates the element. This issue affects Apache Wicket: from 8.0.0 through 8.19.0. Users of Apache Wicket 7.x or older, which are no longer supported, should upgrade to a supported version. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 8.20.0, which fixes the issue. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CWE CWE-79 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/84xxx/CVE-2026-84231.json">CVE-2026-84231</a> Added Reference https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/39kz9838w25797bpkxn1hvfsm8jtc4zv