CVE-2020-13444 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Liferay Portal 7.x before 7.3.2 and Liferay DXP 7.0 before fix pack 92, 7.1 before fix pack 18, and 7.2 before fix pack 5 are affected by a vulnerability that allows remote authenticated users to obtain passwords to REST Data Providers.

Understanding CVE-2020-13444

This CVE entry highlights a security issue in Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP versions that could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information.

What is CVE-2020-13444?

CVE-2020-13444 is a vulnerability in Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP versions that arises from inadequate sanitization of data returned by the DDMDataProvider API. This flaw enables authenticated remote users to retrieve passwords for REST Data Providers.

The Impact of CVE-2020-13444

The vulnerability poses a risk of exposing sensitive data, including passwords, to unauthorized users, potentially leading to data breaches and unauthorized access to REST Data Providers.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-13444

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue stems from the lack of proper sanitization of data retrieved via the DDMDataProvider API, allowing authenticated remote users to access passwords for REST Data Providers.

Affected Systems and Versions

Liferay Portal 7.x before 7.3.2
Liferay DXP 7.0 before fix pack 92
Liferay DXP 7.1 before fix pack 18
Liferay DXP 7.2 before fix pack 5

Exploitation Mechanism

Authenticated remote users can exploit this vulnerability to retrieve passwords for REST Data Providers due to the absence of data sanitization.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-13444 requires immediate actions and long-term security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the necessary security patches provided by Liferay for the affected versions.
Monitor and restrict access to sensitive information within the affected systems.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strict data sanitization practices in API responses to prevent similar vulnerabilities.
Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address potential security gaps.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update and patch Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP to the latest versions to ensure that security vulnerabilities are addressed and system integrity is maintained.