CVE-2025-43750 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2025
Liferay Portal 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.132, and Liferay DXP 2025.Q1.0 through 2025.Q1.1, 2024.Q4.0 through 2024.Q4.7, 2024.Q3.1 through 2024.Q3.13, 2024.Q2.0 through 2024.Q2.13, 2024.Q1.1 through 2024.Q1.14 and 7.4 GA through update 92 allows remote unauthenticated users (guests) to upload files via the form attachment field without proper validation, enabling extension obfuscation and bypassing MIME type checks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2025
This vulnerability exists in Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP versions within specific release ranges where the file upload functionality lacks proper validation mechanisms. The flaw allows unauthenticated users to bypass security controls through form attachment fields, creating a critical pathway for malicious file uploads. The vulnerability specifically targets the validation processes that should prevent extension obfuscation and MIME type verification, which are fundamental security controls for preventing unauthorized file execution. This issue represents a significant weakness in the application's input validation and access control mechanisms, as it permits guest users to submit files without proper authorization or content verification.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of file extensions and MIME type detection within the form attachment processing pipeline. Attackers can exploit this by crafting file names that appear legitimate but contain malicious payloads with obfuscated extensions or incorrect MIME type headers. The system fails to properly validate file characteristics against a whitelist of allowed extensions and MIME types, allowing potentially harmful files to be stored and executed within the application environment. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and proper input sanitization, as the application should enforce strict validation rules regardless of user authentication status. The vulnerability enables a wide range of attack vectors including but not limited to web shell deployment, cross-site scripting attacks, and server-side request forgery exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides remote attackers with a persistent method for gaining unauthorized access to the system. Guest users can upload malicious files without any authentication requirements, creating a backdoor for further exploitation and lateral movement within the network. The ability to bypass MIME type checks means that attackers can potentially execute scripts or binaries that would normally be blocked by security policies. This vulnerability could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and service disruption. Organizations running affected versions of Liferay Portal or DXP are at risk of unauthorized code execution, which could result in significant financial losses, regulatory compliance violations, and reputational damage. The vulnerability's persistence is particularly concerning as it affects multiple release versions across different product lines, indicating a systemic flaw in the file handling architecture.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of Liferay Portal and DXP that address this validation weakness. The recommended approach involves enforcing strict file extension validation and MIME type verification at multiple layers of the application stack. Security controls should include implementing whitelisting mechanisms for file types, deploying content security policies, and adding additional validation checks before file storage. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious file upload activities, while access controls should be reviewed to ensure that guest users have minimal necessary permissions. The implementation of web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help identify and block exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security audits should be conducted to verify that all file upload mechanisms properly validate input and enforce appropriate access controls. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-434 which addresses insecure file upload vulnerabilities, and represents a technique commonly used in the ATT&CK framework under initial access and persistence phases where adversaries establish footholds through file upload capabilities.