CVE-2023-42496 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 02/21/2024
Reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability on the add assignees to a role page in Liferay Portal 7.3.3 through 7.4.3.97, and Liferay DXP 2023.Q3 before patch 6, 7.4 GA through update 92, and 7.3 before update 34 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the _com_liferay_roles_admin_web_portlet_RolesAdminPortlet_tabs2 parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2025
This reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the roles administration functionality of Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP platforms. The flaw specifically affects versions ranging from 7.3.3 through 7.4.3.97 and includes Liferay DXP 2023.Q3 before patch 6, 7.4 GA through update 92, and 7.3 before update 34. The vulnerability manifests when the system fails to properly sanitize user input passed through the _com_liferay_roles_admin_web_portlet_RolesAdminPortlet_tabs2 parameter, which is used in the add assignees to a role page functionality. This parameter is processed in a manner that directly reflects user-supplied input back to the browser without adequate validation or encoding, creating a classic XSS attack vector.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows CWE-79 patterns, which classify it as a reflected cross-site scripting flaw where malicious input is immediately reflected back to users without proper sanitization. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious payloads that are submitted through the vulnerable parameter and then executed in the context of other users' browsers who visit the affected page. The attack requires no authentication and can be delivered through social engineering techniques where victims are tricked into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised web pages that contain the exploit code. The vulnerability affects the entire roles administration interface, specifically targeting the assignees management functionality where users can add individuals to specific roles within the portal.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the portal environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially gain access to administrative functions, modify user permissions, or execute arbitrary commands on behalf of authenticated users. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code executes immediately when a victim visits a page containing the crafted payload, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links, and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected systems to the latest available versions that contain the security fixes for this vulnerability. Organizations should also implement input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious content from being reflected back to users. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security assessments and web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and block suspicious traffic patterns. Additionally, user education regarding the dangers of clicking untrusted links and the importance of verifying web page authenticity can help reduce the success rate of social engineering attacks that exploit this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing proper access controls and monitoring mechanisms to detect unauthorized modifications to role assignments and other administrative functions.