CVE-2008-0563 in Enterprise Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in service/impl/UserLocalServiceImpl.java in Liferay Portal 4.3.6 allows remote attackers to perform unspecified actions as unspecified authenticated users via the User-Agent HTTP header, which is used when composing Forgot Password e-mail messages in HTML format.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2017
The CVE-2008-0563 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Liferay Portal 4.3.6 that demonstrates how seemingly innocuous HTTP header processing can enable sophisticated attack vectors. This vulnerability specifically resides in the service/impl/UserLocalServiceImpl.java component, where the application fails to properly validate or authenticate requests originating from the User-Agent header during password recovery operations. The flaw exploits the trust relationship between the portal and its email composition mechanisms, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate authenticated user sessions without direct authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the Forgot Password functionality, where the User-Agent HTTP header is directly incorporated into HTML email templates without adequate sanitization or authentication checks. When users request password recovery, the system generates HTML emails that include content derived from the User-Agent header, which can be manipulated by attackers to inject malicious payloads or trigger unauthorized actions within the portal's context. This design flaw creates a scenario where an attacker can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate authenticated users, leveraging the trust relationship established by the email system.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to perform unspecified actions as unspecified authenticated users, which could include account takeovers, privilege escalation, or unauthorized data modifications within the Liferay Portal environment. The attack vector specifically targets the password recovery mechanism, making it particularly dangerous as it exploits legitimate user workflows and can bypass traditional authentication mechanisms. The unspecified nature of the actions suggests that the vulnerability could potentially enable a wide range of malicious operations depending on the portal's configuration and user permissions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and demonstrates how improper handling of HTTP headers can create security gaps in authentication flows. This flaw also relates to ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers the use of credential harvesting and session manipulation techniques. The attack could potentially be amplified through social engineering, where users might be tricked into clicking malicious links that leverage the CSRF vulnerability during password recovery processes.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper request validation and authentication checks within the password recovery workflow, ensuring that all requests are properly authenticated regardless of their source headers. Organizations should implement anti-CSRF tokens for all sensitive operations, particularly those involving user account modifications, and ensure that HTTP headers are properly sanitized before being incorporated into email templates. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of principle of least privilege in portal configurations, where email composition systems should not have elevated privileges that could be exploited through header manipulation. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to prevent similar issues in future releases, particularly focusing on how application components handle external input sources.