CVE-2024-8980 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 10/22/2024
The Script Console in Liferay Portal 7.0.0 through 7.4.3.101, and Liferay DXP 2023.Q3.1 through 2023.Q3.4, 7.4 GA through update 92, 7.3 GA through update 35, 7.2 GA through fix pack 20, 7.1 GA through fix pack 28, 7.0 GA through fix pack 102 and 6.2 GA through fix pack 173 does not sufficiently protect against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Groovy script via a crafted URL or a XSS vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-8980 affects the Script Console functionality within Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP versions spanning multiple release lines including 7.0.0 through 7.4.3.101 and various DXP update versions. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms, fundamentally compromising the integrity of the system's administrative interfaces. The Script Console feature allows users to execute Groovy scripts directly within the portal environment, making it a highly privileged component that requires robust security controls to prevent unauthorized access and execution.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient CSRF protection mechanisms within the Script Console implementation. When users access the Script Console, the application should verify that requests originate from legitimate sources through proper token validation and referer checking. However, the flawed implementation allows attackers to craft malicious URLs that bypass these security checks, enabling them to execute arbitrary Groovy scripts without proper authorization. This weakness can be exploited through both direct URL manipulation and through cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that may already exist in the environment, creating a multi-vector attack surface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with direct execution capabilities within the Liferay environment. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and persistence mechanisms. Attackers could execute malicious scripts that modify or delete content, access sensitive user data, manipulate portal configurations, or establish backdoors for continued access. The vulnerability affects organizations using Liferay Portal and DXP across multiple versions, creating widespread exposure since these are enterprise-grade platforms with extensive deployment across various industries including finance, healthcare, and government sectors.
Organizations affected by CVE-2024-8980 should immediately implement mitigation strategies focusing on strengthening CSRF protections within the Script Console functionality. The recommended approach includes enforcing proper token validation mechanisms, implementing referer header checks, and ensuring that all administrative interfaces require robust authentication and authorization controls. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious script execution patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting execution. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other administrative interfaces, as this vulnerability represents a pattern of insufficient access control validation in privileged system components.