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Digital Experience PlatformApplication · Liferay

CVE-2023-33948

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-24
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Dynamic Data Mapping module in Liferay Portal 7.4.3.67, and Liferay DXP 7.4 update 67 does not limit Document and Media files which can be downloaded from a Form, which allows remote attackers to download any file from Document and Media via a crafted URL.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Dynamic Data Mapping module in Liferay Portal 7.4.3.67 and Liferay DXP 7.4 update 67 fails to enforce proper authorization on Document and Media file downloads initiated through Forms, allowing attackers to craft URLs that bypass access controls and download arbitrary files from the Document and Media library.

MitigationApply Liferays vendor patch (update 68 or later) or upgrade to a fixed version. Additionally, review and restrict Document and Media folder permissions to limit exposure until the patch is applied.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Digital Experience PlatformApplication
Affected:= 7.4
Liferay PortalApplication
Affected:= 7.4.3.67

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Liferay Portal or DXP version
    Check the Liferay bundle or WAR file version. In the Liferay portal, navigate to Control Panel > Configuration > Server Administration > Product Information, or check the liferay-portal.properties or manifest.mf file in the deployment.
    Affected if The installed version matches exactly 7.4.3.67 (Liferay Portal) or 7.4 update 67 (Liferay DXP)
  2. Verify Dynamic Data Mapping module is in use
    Check if Forms with Dynamic Data Mapping type fields are configured. Navigate to Content > Data Definition in the Liferay Control Panel and review any definitions that include Document and Media type fields.
    Affected if Dynamic Data Mapping definitions with Document and Media fields exist in the system
  3. Inspect Document and Media folder permissions
    Navigate to Document and Media in the Control Panel, select each folder, and review the permissions assigned to roles. Check if guest users or unauthenticated roles have view or download permissions.
    Affected if Any Document and Media folders grant download permissions to roles that should not have access to sensitive files
  4. Review Forms submissions using Document and Media
    Check Forms entries that include Document and Media uploads. Attempt to access the direct download URL pattern (typically /documents/...) using an incognito window without authentication to verify access control bypass.
    Affected if Files can be downloaded by unauthenticated users through crafted URLs

A user is affected if running exactly version 7.4.3.67 or 7.4 update 67 AND using Document and Media fields in Forms with permissions that allow the bypass to be exploited.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Liferays vendor patch (update 68 or later) or upgrade to a fixed version. Additionally, review and restrict Document and Media folder permissions to limit exposure until the patch is applied.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Lifera Portal 7.4.3.68+ or Lifera DXP 7.4 update 68+

  1. 1. Back up your current Liferay database and deployment files before proceeding.
  2. 2. Verify your current Liferay Portal or DXP version is 7.4.3.67 or 7.4 update 67.
  3. 3. Download Lifaxer Portal 7.4.3.68 or later / Liferay DXP 7.4 update 68 or later from the official Lifera customer portal.
  4. 4. Stop the Liferay server instance.
  5. 5. Deploy the new Liferay WAR file and required JAR files following standard upgrade procedures.
  6. 6. Review and apply any required database migration scripts for the version you are upgrading to.
  7. 7. Start the Liferay server and verify the Dynamic Data Mapping module functions correctly.
  8. 8. Test that Document and Media file downloads through Forms are now properly authorized and restricted.
Caveat Review Lifera release notes for 7.4.3.68+ for any configuration or feature changes that may require adjustment during upgrade.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Digital Experience Platform Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing5.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $2,970
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-33948 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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