CVE-2024-25602 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 02/21/2024
Stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Users Admin module's edit user page in Liferay Portal 7.2.0 through 7.4.2, and older unsupported versions, and Liferay DXP 7.3 before service pack 3, 7.2 before fix pack 17, and older unsupported versions allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted payload injected into an organization’s “Name” text field
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2025
This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the Users Admin module of Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP platforms, specifically affecting versions through 7.4.2 and older unsupported releases. The flaw manifests in the edit user page functionality where authenticated users can manipulate the organization's "Name" text field to inject malicious scripts. This represents a critical security weakness that allows attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS attack because the malicious payload is permanently stored on the server and executed whenever affected pages are accessed, making it particularly dangerous for widespread impact.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the user management interface. When users enter data into the organization name field, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This lack of proper sanitization creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist in the database and execute whenever other users view the affected user profiles. The vulnerability specifically targets the edit user page within the Users Admin module, which is a core administrative function that handles user account modifications and organizational data management. According to CWE standards, this maps to CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic stored XSS implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. Authenticated users with access to the user management module can leverage this vulnerability to compromise other users' sessions, potentially gaining administrative privileges or accessing sensitive organizational data. The attack vector requires only legitimate user authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by insiders or compromised accounts. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that once the malicious payload is injected, it will continue to affect users until manually removed from the system, creating an ongoing security risk that can compound over time. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers 'Phishing with Spoofed Credentials' and T1078.004 which addresses 'Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts' as attackers can leverage compromised user credentials to exploit this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data handling pipeline. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied data, particularly in fields that appear in user interfaces, undergoes proper sanitization before storage and encoding before display. The recommended approach includes implementing strict content security policies, utilizing proper HTML escaping mechanisms, and applying input validation that rejects potentially dangerous characters and sequences. Additionally, organizations should implement regular security audits of user management interfaces and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns. Patch management protocols should be strictly enforced, with immediate updates to affected Liferay versions, particularly ensuring that Liferay DXP 7.3 receives service pack 3 and Liferay Portal 7.2 receives fix pack 17 to remediate this vulnerability. Security awareness training for administrators and developers should emphasize the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future development cycles.