CVE-2021-33335 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 08/04/2021
Privilege escalation vulnerability in Liferay Portal 7.0.3 through 7.3.4, and Liferay DXP 7.1 before fix pack 20, and 7.2 before fix pack 9 allows remote authenticated users with permission to update/edit users to take over a company administrator user account by editing the company administrator user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2025
This privilege escalation vulnerability exists within Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP platforms affecting versions 7.0.3 through 7.3.4 and specific DXP releases before their respective fix packs. The flaw stems from insufficient authorization checks during user account modification operations, specifically when authenticated users with edit permissions attempt to manipulate administrator accounts. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 Access Control Issues, which encompasses improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to perform privileged actions. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can leverage their limited edit permissions to modify company administrator user accounts, effectively gaining administrative privileges within the targeted organization's Liferay environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs during the user modification process where the system fails to properly validate whether the authenticated user has the necessary authorization levels to modify accounts with higher privileges. When an attacker with edit permissions attempts to modify a company administrator user, the system does not adequately enforce the principle of least privilege, allowing the attacker to manipulate administrative account properties such as roles, permissions, or access levels. This represents a critical breakdown in the access control model where the system does not properly distinguish between different user roles and their respective modification capabilities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only minimal permissions to exploit, making it accessible to users who should not possess administrative capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it allows attackers to completely compromise the security posture of affected Liferay installations. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can assume full administrative control over the company's Liferay portal, gaining access to sensitive data, user information, and system configurations. This compromise can lead to data breaches, unauthorized system modifications, and potential lateral movement within the organization's network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects both Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP deployments, making it particularly dangerous for enterprises that utilize multiple product versions across their infrastructure. Organizations using these affected versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to critical business applications and data repositories.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate deployment of vendor-provided security patches and fix packs, specifically targeting the affected Liferay Portal and DXP versions. Organizations should implement strict access control policies and regularly audit user permissions to ensure that only authorized personnel possess the ability to modify administrator accounts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically T1068, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized user account modifications and establish principle of least privilege enforcement mechanisms. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of Liferay environments are essential to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses that could lead to similar privilege escalation scenarios.