CVE-2025-43794
📋 TL;DR
This stored XSS vulnerability allows authenticated Liferay instance administrators to inject malicious scripts into the CDN host configuration fields, which then execute in all users' browsers when they access any portal page. It affects Liferay Portal 7.4.0-7.4.3.111 and older versions, plus multiple Liferay DXP versions. Attackers need administrative privileges to exploit this vulnerability.
💻 Affected Systems
- Liferay Portal
- Liferay DXP
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with instance administrator credentials could inject malicious JavaScript that steals session cookies, redirects users to phishing sites, or performs actions on behalf of authenticated users across the entire portal.
Likely Case
Privilege escalation where a compromised administrator account leads to session hijacking of other users, potentially exposing sensitive data or enabling further attacks.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact is limited to the compromised administrator account only, with minimal data exposure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires administrative credentials and knowledge of the instance configuration interface; payload injection is straightforward once authenticated.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Liferay Portal 7.4.3.112+; Liferay DXP 2023.Q4.1+, 2023.Q3.5+, 7.4 update 93+, 7.3 update 36+
Vendor Advisory: https://liferay.dev/portal/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/jekt/content/CVE-2025-43794
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Download the appropriate fix pack from Liferay's customer portal. 2. Apply the fix pack according to Liferay's deployment documentation. 3. Verify the fix by checking the version and testing the CDN host fields.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Enhancement
allImplement additional input validation for CDN host fields to reject script tags and JavaScript content
Implement custom validation hook in Liferay's portal-ext.properties or through custom module
Administrative Access Restriction
allTemporarily restrict instance administrator role assignments and implement multi-factor authentication for admin accounts
Review and reduce admin role assignments in Control Panel > Users and Organizations
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution from unauthorized sources
- Enable detailed audit logging for configuration changes and monitor for suspicious admin activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Liferay version via Control Panel > Server Administration > Properties, or examine liferay-portal.xml version tagCheck Version:
Check ${liferay.home}/tomcat-${version}/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/liferay-portal.xml for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, attempt to inject basic XSS payload (<script>alert('test')</script>) into CDN host fields and verify it's properly sanitized📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual configuration changes to CDN settings
- Multiple failed admin login attempts followed by successful login
- Admin account activity from unusual IP addresses or times
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected JavaScript loading from CDN domains
- Suspicious outbound connections following admin login
SIEM Query:
source="liferay.log" AND ("CDN Host" OR "configuration change" OR "admin login")