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Last modified by Agnease on 2026/06/08 18:44
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1 -xwiki-security-review
1 +What an XWiki Security Review Should Actually Include
Content
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32 32   <li><a href="#security-checklist">Security checklist</a></li>
33 33   <li><a href="#review-output">What the review should produce</a></li>
34 34   <li><a href="#when-to-review">When to run a review</a></li>
35 + <li><a href="#security-review-faq">FAQ</a></li>
35 35   </ul>
36 36   </aside>
37 37  
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51 51  
52 52   <div class="resource-note">
53 53   <p>
55 + <strong>In practice:</strong> an XWiki security review should evaluate the XWiki version,
56 + access rights, authentication setup, installed extensions, custom code, infrastructure,
57 + backups, restore expectations and the operational practices used to maintain the instance.
58 + </p>
59 + </div>
60 +
61 + <p>
62 + An XWiki security review is a structured assessment of the wiki platform, its configuration,
63 + access model, authentication mechanisms, extensions, customizations and operational setup.
64 + The goal is to identify risks, maintenance weaknesses and upgrade blockers before they affect
65 + users or business-critical content.
66 + </p>
67 +
68 + <div class="resource-note">
69 + <p>
54 54   <strong>The main point:</strong> an XWiki security review should not only check whether the application
55 55   is online. It should evaluate the platform, the access model and the operational practices around it.
56 56   </p>
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88 88   A repeatable upgrade process is part of the security posture of a long-running XWiki instance.
89 89   </p>
90 90  
107 + <p>
108 + For more details on upgrade planning, see
109 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>.
110 + </p>
111 +
91 91   <h3>2. Access rights and permission model</h3>
92 92   <p>
93 93   XWiki has a powerful access-rights system, but this flexibility needs a clear governance model. A review
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101 101   of small exceptions that nobody reviewed later.
102 102   </p>
103 103  
125 + <p>
126 + For a deeper look at this topic, see <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-access-rights-governance')">why XWiki access rights need a clear governance model</a>.
127 + </p>
128 +
104 104   <h3>3. Authentication and identity management</h3>
105 105   <p>
106 106   Authentication should be reviewed beyond the simple question of whether users can log in. LDAP, Active
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125 125   discovered accidentally during an incident or a production upgrade.
126 126   </p>
127 127  
153 + <p>
154 + Customizations should also be reviewed from a maintenance perspective. See
155 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-custom-development')">how to keep XWiki custom development maintainable across upgrades</a>.
156 + </p>
157 +
128 128   <h3>5. Configuration, infrastructure and operations</h3>
129 129   <p>
130 130   The review should also cover the environment around XWiki: HTTPS and reverse proxy configuration, database
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137 137   knows what is included, how long recovery would take or whether the restore process has ever been tested.
138 138   </p>
139 139  
140 - <h2 id="security-checklist">Practical XWiki security review checklist</h2>
170 + <div class="resource-inline-cta">
171 + <p>
172 + <strong>Need a clearer view of your XWiki security posture?</strong>
173 + A structured review can check versions, access rights, authentication,
174 + extensions, custom code, infrastructure, backups and operational practices.
175 + </p>
176 + <a class="btn btn-secondary" href="$xwiki.getURL('contact.WebHome')">Request a security review</a>
177 + </div>
141 141  
179 + <h2 id="security-checklist">XWiki security review checklist</h2>
180 +
181 + <p>
182 + A practical XWiki security review should cover both application-level and operational risks.
183 + The following checklist can be used as a starting point when reviewing a production instance.
184 + </p>
185 +
142 142   <ul class="resource-checklist">
143 143   <li>Check the current XWiki version, target version and upgrade path.</li>
144 144   <li>Review installed extensions, outdated components and unsupported customizations.</li>
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155 155   <h2 id="review-output">What the review should produce</h2>
156 156  
157 157   <p>
158 - A useful security review should not only produce a list of problems. It should produce a practical action
202 + A useful security review should not only produce a list of detected problems. It should produce a practical action
159 159   plan. Each finding should explain the risk, the affected area, the recommended action and the priority.
160 160   </p>
161 161  
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165 165   reviewing extensions or preparing the next upgrade.
166 166   </p>
167 167  
212 + <div class="resource-note">
213 + <p>
214 + <strong>A useful review should separate findings by priority:</strong> immediate risks,
215 + planned remediation, maintenance improvements and documentation gaps. This makes the result
216 + easier to act on instead of producing a generic list of observations.
217 + </p>
218 + </div>
219 +
168 168   <p>
169 169   The best outcome is a clearer, safer and more maintainable XWiki instance: one where administrators
170 170   understand the access model, critical features are documented and future upgrades can be planned with
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186 186  
187 187   <div class="resource-note">
188 188   <p>
241 + <strong>Security review series:</strong>
242 + this article is the main overview. You can also read
243 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-access-rights-governance')">why XWiki access rights need a clear governance model</a>.
244 + Future topics will cover authentication and access control, script and programming rights, backup validation,
245 + extension review and operational practices.
246 + </p>
247 + </div>
248 +
249 + <h2 id="security-review-faq">XWiki security review FAQ</h2>
250 +
251 + <h3>What should an XWiki security review include?</h3>
252 + <p>
253 + An XWiki security review should include the installed XWiki version, upgrade path,
254 + access rights, groups, authentication setup, installed extensions, custom code,
255 + infrastructure, backups, restore expectations and operational procedures.
256 + </p>
257 +
258 + <h3>Is an updated XWiki instance automatically secure?</h3>
259 + <p>
260 + No. Updating XWiki is important, but security also depends on permissions,
261 + authentication, extensions, custom code, infrastructure configuration, backups
262 + and how the instance is maintained.
263 + </p>
264 +
265 + <h3>Does SSO solve XWiki access control?</h3>
266 + <p>
267 + No. SSO helps authenticate users, but access control still depends on XWiki groups,
268 + inherited permissions, page-level rights and administrative privileges.
269 + </p>
270 +
271 + <h3>Why should custom code be reviewed?</h3>
272 + <p>
273 + Custom scripts, templates, macros, UI extensions and Java components can affect
274 + permissions, workflows, rendering, integrations and upgrade behavior. They should
275 + be identified, documented and tested.
276 + </p>
277 +
278 + <h3>When should an XWiki security review be done?</h3>
279 + <p>
280 + A review is useful before a major upgrade, after years of organic growth, after
281 + authentication changes, before exposing the wiki more broadly, or when the instance
282 + becomes business-critical.
283 + </p>
284 +
285 + <div class="resource-note">
286 + <p>
189 189   Related resources:
288 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-access-rights-governance')">why XWiki access rights need a clear governance model</a>,
190 190   <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>
191 191   and
192 192   <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-custom-development')">how to keep XWiki custom development maintainable across upgrades</a>.
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209 209   </div>
210 210   </section>
211 211  
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xwiki-security-review.png
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1 +XWiki.Admin
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1 +Learn what an XWiki security review should include: version status, access rights, authentication, extensions, custom code, infrastructure, backups and operational practices.
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1 +What an XWiki Security Review Should Actually Include | Agnease