CVE-2007-6173 in Liferay Enterprise Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in c/portal/login in Liferay Enterprise Portal 4.3.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the emailAddress parameter in a Send New Password action, a different vector than CVE-2007-6055. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6173 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Liferay Enterprise Portal 4.3.1 platform, specifically affecting the c/portal/login component. This security weakness resides in the password recovery mechanism where the emailAddress parameter is processed without adequate input validation or output encoding. The vulnerability operates through a distinct attack vector compared to CVE-2007-6055, making it particularly concerning for systems utilizing this particular version of the portal software. Security researchers have documented that this flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input during the password reset process. When users attempt to retrieve forgotten passwords through the Send New Password action, the system accepts the emailAddress parameter directly from the HTTP request without proper validation or encoding measures. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content that gets executed when other users view the affected page or interact with the application. The vulnerability specifically targets the email address field in the login portal, making it accessible through the c/portal/login endpoint. According to CWE standards, this represents a classic case of CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which occurs when web applications fail to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The attack chain typically involves crafting a malicious email address containing script tags that execute upon page rendering, potentially stealing cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-6173 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can serve as a launching point for more sophisticated attacks within enterprise environments. Organizations running Liferay 4.3.1 are particularly vulnerable since this version lacks proper input validation mechanisms in its password recovery module. The attack surface becomes significantly broader when considering that many enterprise portals use this functionality extensively, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to compromise user sessions and escalate privileges. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531: Account Access Removal, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts and potentially system-wide compromise. The impact is amplified in environments where portal users have elevated privileges or access to sensitive business data, as the malicious scripts could be used to capture session tokens, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions within the application that appear legitimate to the victim. Organizations with multiple users relying on the portal for authentication and access control face significant risk when this vulnerability remains unpatched.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-6173 require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures within the affected Liferay portal components. The most effective approach involves implementing strict input sanitization on all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in authentication and password recovery workflows. Security teams should ensure that email addresses are properly validated against RFC standards and that any special characters are encoded or escaped before being rendered in web pages. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and prevent unauthorized code injection. Additionally, patch management procedures must be prioritized to upgrade to Liferay versions that have addressed this vulnerability, as version 4.3.1 is no longer supported and lacks security updates. The implementation of web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring for suspicious patterns in login and password recovery requests. Security professionals should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar input validation weaknesses across other portal components, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input handling in web applications.