CVE-2020-7961 Liferay Liferay Portal: unsafe data loading
In plain words: The program unpacks saved data from outside without checking it is safe. Usually lets an attacker run code on the server.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline May 3, 2022
What to do
- Install Liferay's security update for Liferay Portal. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- Liferay Portal Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability
- Product
- Liferay Liferay Portal
- CISA description
- Liferay Portal contains a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute code via JSON web services.
- Type of flaw
- Unsafe data loading (CWE-502)
- Confirmed exploited
- Nov 3, 2021
- US federal patch deadline
- May 3, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2020-7961 ·
Questions about CVE-2020-7961
Is CVE-2020-7961 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-7961 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2020-7961?
Install Liferay's security update for Liferay Portal. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2020-7961?
Only if you use Liferay Liferay Portal. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.