CVE-2007-6055 in portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in c/portal/login in Liferay Portal 4.1.0 and 4.1.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the login parameter. NOTE: this issue reportedly exists because of a regression that followed a fix at an unspecified earlier date.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-6055 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Liferay Portal authentication system, specifically affecting versions 4.1.0 and 4.1.1. This vulnerability resides in the c/portal/login component where user input from the login parameter is not properly sanitized before being processed or displayed. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized access to sensitive information. The issue stems from a regression that occurred after an earlier fix was implemented, suggesting that the original security patch was either incomplete or was subsequently reverted or modified in a way that reintroduced the vulnerability. Such regressions are particularly concerning as they indicate potential weaknesses in the software development lifecycle and security testing processes. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a critical security weakness in web applications. According to the ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability would be categorized under T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it targets a publicly accessible portal component that serves as an entry point for attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain deeper access to the system. The impact is particularly severe because authentication pages are prime targets for attackers seeking to intercept user credentials or manipulate the authentication flow. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal prerequisites, as attackers only need to craft malicious input containing script tags and pass them through the login parameter, making it highly accessible to threat actors with basic web application exploitation knowledge. The affected Liferay Portal versions represent a critical security risk for organizations relying on these systems, as the vulnerability directly undermines the security of the core authentication mechanism. Organizations using these versions face potential unauthorized access to user accounts, data breaches, and possible lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The nature of XSS vulnerabilities in authentication contexts means that successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of user sessions and potentially administrative privileges if the targeted users have elevated access rights. Security teams should consider implementing immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and web application firewalls to protect against exploitation while planning for the necessary software upgrades. The regression aspect of this vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough regression testing in security patches and the need for comprehensive security validation processes to prevent similar issues from reoccurring in future releases.