CVE-2025-43733 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 08/18/2025
A reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Liferay Portal 7.4.3.132, and Liferay DXP 2025.Q1.0 through 2025.Q1.7 allows a remote authenticated attacker to inject JavaScript code via the content page's name field. This malicious payload is then reflected and executed within the user's browser when viewing the "document View Usages" page.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2025
This reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP platforms, specifically affecting versions through 2025.Q1.7. The flaw manifests when an authenticated attacker exploits the content page name field to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets reflected back to users when they navigate to the document View Usages page. The vulnerability operates through the standard XSS attack vector where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized or encoded before being rendered in the web application's response. This particular weakness allows attackers to execute arbitrary code within the victim's browser context, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the content management system's page name handling functionality. When administrators or users create or modify content pages, the system accepts the provided name without adequate sanitization of potentially malicious characters or script tags. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload is immediately reflected back to the user's browser without being stored on the server, making it particularly dangerous for targeted attacks. The attack requires authentication to the system but does not need elevated privileges, as the vulnerability exists in the standard user-facing content management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks within the context of the compromised user's session. An attacker could craft malicious page names containing JavaScript payloads that redirect users to phishing sites, steal session cookies, or perform actions on behalf of the authenticated user. The reflected nature makes this vulnerability particularly effective for phishing campaigns where attackers can send links to specific content pages that will execute malicious code upon viewing. The vulnerability affects the document management functionality specifically, meaning that any user with access to the document view usages feature could be targeted, potentially compromising multiple users within an organization's content management system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all user-supplied content fields. Organizations should ensure that all content management system inputs are properly sanitized using established encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding for output rendering. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security updates and patch management should be prioritized to address known vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns, and conduct regular security assessments of their Liferay installations to identify similar vulnerabilities in the application's codebase. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a typical example of how insufficient input validation can lead to remote code execution in web applications. The attack pattern follows the standard MITRE ATT&CK framework methodology for web application exploitation, specifically targeting the credential access and execution phases of an attack lifecycle.