CVE-2017-12649 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE
XSS exists in Liferay Portal before 7.0 CE GA4 via a crafted title or summary that is mishandled in the Web Content Display.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12649 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within Liferay Portal versions prior to 7.0 CE GA4, specifically affecting the Web Content Display component. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle maliciously crafted title or summary fields. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view affected web content, creating a persistent security risk within the portal environment.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of user-supplied data within the Web Content Display functionality. When users create or edit web content, the system accepts title and summary fields without sufficient sanitization measures to prevent script injection. This weakness enables attackers to craft malicious input containing javascript code or other malicious payloads that get stored and subsequently executed when other users browse the content. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category for Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS attack vector where malicious code persists in the application's database.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-12649 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive user data and session information. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to steal cookies, session tokens, or other authentication credentials from unsuspecting users. The vulnerability also poses risks to data integrity and confidentiality, as malicious scripts could capture user inputs or redirect users to phishing sites. Organizations utilizing Liferay Portal without proper patches face significant exposure to unauthorized access and potential data breaches, particularly in environments where multiple users interact with web content management features.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on applying the official security patches released by Liferay for versions 7.0 CE GA4 and later. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent script injection attempts, with particular attention to user-supplied content in title and summary fields. Security measures should include the implementation of content security policies to restrict script execution, regular security audits of web content management components, and user education regarding the risks of viewing untrusted content. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies as outlined in the mitre ATT&CK framework's web application attack patterns, particularly focusing on the execution and persistence phases of cyber attacks.