CVE-2021-29044 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A detailed analysis of CVE-2021-29044, a Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP versions, allowing remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML.

Understanding CVE-2021-29044

This section provides an overview of the CVE-2021-29044 vulnerability affecting Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP versions.

What is CVE-2021-29044?

The CVE-2021-29044 is a Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability discovered in the Site module's membership request administration pages in Liferay Portal versions 7.0.0 through 7.3.5, and Liferay DXP 7.0 before fix pack 97, 7.1 before fix pack 21, 7.2 before fix pack 10, and 7.3 before fix pack 1. This vulnerability enables remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a specific parameter.

The Impact of CVE-2021-29044

This XSS vulnerability poses a significant security risk as it allows malicious actors to execute scripts on the victim's browser, potentially leading to various attacks such as session hijacking, defacement, and data theft.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-29044

In this section, we delve into the technical aspects of the CVE-2021-29044 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability exists due to inadequate input validation in the _com_liferay_site_my_sites_web_portlet_MySitesPortlet_comments parameter, which enables attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML code.

Affected Systems and Versions

Liferay Portal versions 7.0.0 through 7.3.5, and Liferay DXP 7.0 before fix pack 97, 7.1 before fix pack 21, 7.2 before fix pack 10, and 7.3 before fix pack 1 are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by injecting crafted scripts or HTML code through the vulnerable _com_liferay_site_my_sites_web_portlet_MySitesPortlet_comments parameter.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines steps to mitigate the CVE-2021-29044 vulnerability and prevent potential exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users and administrators are advised to apply the latest security patches provided by Liferay to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, input validation mechanisms should be implemented to sanitize user inputs and prevent XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Enforcing secure coding practices, conducting regular security audits, and educating developers on secure coding principles can help in preventing XSS vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-29044.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitor Liferay's security advisories and promptly apply recommended patches and updates to protect systems from known vulnerabilities.