CVE-2017-17868 in Liferay Portal
Summary
by MITRE
In Liferay Portal 6.1.0, the tags section has XSS via a Public Render Parameter (p_r_p) value, as demonstrated by p_r_p_564233524_tag.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17868 affects Liferay Portal version 6.1.0 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the tags section of the application. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle malicious data submitted through Public Render Parameters. The specific vector involves the p_r_p_564233524_tag parameter which allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's rendering process. This vulnerability resides in the web application's user interface layer where user-supplied content is directly incorporated into dynamic web pages without proper security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic XSS attack pattern where the application accepts user input through the Public Render Parameter mechanism and subsequently renders this input without appropriate sanitization or encoding. When a user accesses a page that utilizes this parameter, the malicious script gets executed in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability affects the tags functionality specifically, indicating that the application's tag handling system does not properly validate or escape user-provided content before incorporating it into web responses. This weakness enables attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with the ability to manipulate the user interface and potentially access sensitive information. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit the Public Render Parameter mechanism to inject scripts that could redirect users to malicious sites, steal cookies and session tokens, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the application's user interface and can be leveraged to create persistent XSS attacks that remain active until the parameter value is changed or the session expires. Given that Liferay Portal serves as a comprehensive enterprise portal platform, the potential for widespread impact increases significantly as this vulnerability could affect multiple users and applications within the same portal instance.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-provided input, particularly parameters like p_r_p_564233524_tag, through proper encoding before rendering in web pages. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and establish proper input validation routines that reject or sanitize potentially malicious content. The fix should address the root cause by ensuring that all parameters flowing through the Public Render Parameter mechanism undergo appropriate security controls. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks. Regular security testing and input validation reviews should be implemented to prevent similar issues in the application's codebase, particularly in areas where user-generated content is processed and displayed. The remediation process should include updating the Liferay Portal to a patched version or implementing proper security controls at the application level to prevent unauthorized script execution within user sessions.