CVE-2011-1571 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the XSL Content portlet in Liferay Portal Community Edition (CE) 5.x and 6.x before 6.0.6 GA, when Apache Tomcat is used, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1571 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within the XSL Content portlet of Liferay Portal Community Edition versions 5.x and 6.x prior to 6.0.6 GA. This vulnerability specifically manifests when Liferay Portal is deployed on Apache Tomcat application servers, creating a dangerous attack surface that enables malicious actors to gain unauthorized system access. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways exist for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly concerning for security professionals who must account for various potential attack scenarios. The flaw resides in the processing of XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) content within the portlet framework, which serves as a bridge between XML data and presentation layers in web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the XSL Content portlet's handling of user-supplied data. When Apache Tomcat processes requests through Liferay Portal, the flawed XSL processing mechanism fails to properly escape or validate external input that gets interpreted as executable code. This creates an environment where remote attackers can inject malicious XSL transformations that ultimately translate into system command execution. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-94, which describes "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and represents a classic example of how insecure data handling in web applications can lead to complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting specially formatted XSL content that bypasses normal security controls and executes arbitrary commands with the privileges of the Tomcat process.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1571 extends far beyond simple data theft or service disruption, as it provides attackers with complete system control capabilities. Once exploited, remote attackers can execute commands on the underlying operating system, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability affects organizations using Liferay Portal in production environments where Apache Tomcat serves as the application server, making it particularly dangerous for enterprises that rely on this platform for their web presence. The widespread adoption of Liferay Portal in corporate and government environments increases the potential attack surface significantly, as multiple organizations may be vulnerable to the same exploitation vectors. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the dangers of allowing untrusted data to influence code generation processes.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Liferay Portal 6.0.6 GA or later versions where the vulnerability has been patched. The update process should be carefully planned to ensure compatibility with existing applications and configurations, as version upgrades may introduce breaking changes. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected portal systems, configuring proper firewall rules to restrict access to administrative interfaces, and monitoring for suspicious XSL content usage patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious XSL injection attempts, while conducting thorough security assessments of all portlets and modules that process external content. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping enterprise web applications updated and the necessity of implementing robust input validation mechanisms that prevent code injection attacks. The attack patterns associated with this vulnerability map directly to ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers "Command and Scripting Interpreter," demonstrating how the initial exploitation can lead to broader system compromise through command execution capabilities.