CVE-2021-33324 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 08/03/2021
The Layout module in Liferay Portal 7.1.0 through 7.3.1, and Liferay DXP 7.1 before fix pack 20, and 7.2 before fix pack 5, does not properly check permission of pages, which allows remote authenticated users without view permission of a page to view the page via a site's page administration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-33324 represents a critical access control flaw within the Layout module of Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP platforms. This security weakness affects versions ranging from Liferay Portal 7.1.0 through 7.3.1 and specific earlier fix packs of Liferay DXP 7.1 and 7.2. The vulnerability stems from inadequate permission validation mechanisms that fail to properly enforce access controls for page content within site administrations.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper validation of user permissions within the Layout module's page administration functionality. When authenticated users attempt to access specific pages within a site, the system fails to adequately verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary view permissions for that particular page. This failure creates an unauthorized access vector where users can bypass normal permission boundaries and retrieve page content they should not be authorized to view. The vulnerability specifically impacts the site's page administration interface, allowing malicious actors to exploit this weakness through legitimate authenticated sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally undermines the permission model that Liferay implements to protect site content. Remote authenticated users who lack proper view permissions for specific pages can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to sensitive content, potentially including confidential business information, restricted documentation, or proprietary data. This weakness can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where Liferay serves as a primary content management and collaboration platform, as it allows attackers to circumvent the security controls that are essential for maintaining data integrity and confidentiality.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems. The flaw demonstrates a clear breakdown in the principle of least privilege, where users can access resources beyond their authorized scope. Additionally, the vulnerability can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through unauthorized access to system resources. Organizations utilizing affected Liferay versions face significant risk of data breaches and compliance violations, particularly in regulated industries where access control and audit trails are mandatory requirements.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include immediate deployment of the vendor-provided security patches and fix packs for the affected versions. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring measures to detect unauthorized access attempts and review existing permission configurations to ensure proper access controls are in place. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of their Liferay implementations to identify any other potential access control weaknesses and establish more robust logging and alerting mechanisms for suspicious activities within site administration interfaces.