CVE-2025-43788 in Liferay
Summary
by MITRE • 09/12/2025
The organization selector in Liferay Portal 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.124, and Liferay DXP 2024.Q1.1 through 2024.Q1.12 and 7.4 update 81 through update 85 does not check user permission, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain a list of all organizations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2025
This vulnerability exists in the organization selector functionality of Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP platforms where proper access control mechanisms are absent. The flaw affects versions ranging from Liferay Portal 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.124 and Liferay DXP 2024.Q1.1 through 2024.Q1.12 along with Liferay DXP 7.4 update 81 through update 85. The vulnerability stems from insufficient permission validation within the organization selection component that governs how users interact with organizational structures within the platform.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows authenticated users to bypass normal access controls and retrieve comprehensive lists of all organizations within the system. This occurs because the organization selector does not perform proper authorization checks before returning organizational data to requesting users. The flaw represents a classic access control vulnerability where the system fails to enforce the principle of least privilege, enabling users to access information they should not be permitted to view.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizational security and data integrity. Remote authenticated users can enumerate all organizations within the system, potentially exposing sensitive information about the organizational structure, user distribution, and business relationships. This enumeration capability can serve as a foundation for further attacks including privilege escalation attempts, social engineering operations, and targeted exploitation of specific organizational units. The vulnerability directly impacts confidentiality as it allows unauthorized information disclosure without requiring administrative privileges or special access rights.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-285: "Improper Authorization" which specifically addresses situations where systems fail to properly verify that an operation is authorized. This weakness enables attackers to perform actions they should not be permitted to execute. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1069.001: "Credentials in Files" and T1566.001: "Phishing" as it provides attackers with information that can be used to craft more effective social engineering campaigns. The organization enumeration capability can also support lateral movement activities by providing insights into potential target systems and user groups within the organization.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Liferay, reviewing and strengthening access control policies, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. Network segmentation and additional authentication layers should be considered to limit the impact of potential exploitation. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of organization-related functionality to identify similar permission gaps. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation and serves as a reminder that even seemingly minor components can provide significant attack vectors when access controls are improperly enforced. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar authorization flaws across the platform.