CVE-2021-33333 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 08/04/2021
The Portal Workflow module in Liferay Portal 7.3.2 and earlier, and Liferay DXP 7.0 before fix pack 93, 7.1 before fix pack 19 and 7.2 before fix pack 6, does not properly check user permission, which allows remote authenticated users to view and delete workflow submissions via crafted URLs.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-33333 resides within the Portal Workflow module of Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP platforms, representing a critical authorization bypass flaw that affects multiple versions including Liferay Portal 7.3.2 and earlier releases, alongside Liferay DXP 7.0 through various fix pack versions. This security weakness stems from insufficient user permission validation mechanisms within the workflow submission processing functionality, creating an exploitable condition that enables authenticated attackers to manipulate workflow processes without proper authorization.
The technical flaw manifests through improper access control validation where the workflow module fails to adequately verify user permissions before executing operations on workflow submissions. Attackers can craft specially formatted URLs that bypass the intended authorization checks, allowing them to access and manipulate workflow items that should be restricted to specific user roles or permissions. This vulnerability specifically impacts the viewing and deletion capabilities of workflow submissions, potentially enabling attackers to examine sensitive business processes or remove critical workflow data.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations utilizing Liferay platforms for business process automation and workflow management. Remote authenticated users who can access the system with legitimate credentials can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to workflow data, potentially exposing confidential business information or disrupting critical business processes. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure as the ability to delete workflow submissions can cause operational disruptions and data integrity issues within business workflows.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts, as it exploits legitimate user credentials to perform unauthorized actions. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of vendor-provided patches and updates, while also implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additional mitigations include reviewing and tightening workflow permission settings, implementing comprehensive logging of workflow operations, and conducting regular security assessments of workflow modules to identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation within enterprise portal systems and highlights the potential for seemingly minor permission validation flaws to create significant security risks. The affected versions represent a substantial attack surface given the widespread use of Liferay platforms in enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations with extensive workflow automation deployments. Security teams should implement continuous monitoring for suspicious workflow access patterns and ensure that all workflow-related modules undergo thorough security testing to prevent similar authorization bypass scenarios.