CVE-2025-43782 Overview
CVE-2025-43782 is an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability in Liferay Portal and Liferay Digital Experience Platform (DXP). The flaw allows remote authenticated users to access workflow definitions by name through the API without proper authorization checks. The vulnerability affects Liferay Portal versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.124, Liferay DXP 2024.Q2.0 through 2024.Q2.7, DXP 2024.Q1.1 through 2024.Q1.12, and DXP 7.4 GA through update 92. The weakness is classified under CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key.
Critical Impact
Authenticated users can retrieve workflow definitions they should not have access to, exposing internal business process logic and potentially sensitive configuration data.
Affected Products
- Liferay Portal 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.124
- Liferay DXP 2024.Q2.0 through 2024.Q2.7 and 2024.Q1.1 through 2024.Q1.12
- Liferay DXP 7.4 GA through update 92
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-09-11 - CVE-2025-43782 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-43782
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Liferay workflow API, which exposes workflow definitions retrievable by name. The API endpoint fails to enforce authorization checks against the requesting user's privileges before returning workflow data. Any authenticated user can supply the name of a workflow definition and receive its contents. This behavior violates the principle of least privilege because workflow definitions frequently encode business rules, approval chains, and role assignments that should be restricted to administrators or workflow designers. Exposure of these definitions provides reconnaissance value for attackers preparing further actions against the platform.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing authorization check tied to a user-controlled identifier, matching the pattern described by CWE-639. The API resolves workflow definitions by the caller-supplied name and returns them without validating whether the caller has permission to view that specific object. Authentication alone is treated as sufficient, so any low-privilege account inside the portal can enumerate definitions by name.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the Liferay API and a valid authenticated session with low privileges. The attacker issues a request to the workflow definition endpoint, substituting the name of a target workflow. The server returns the definition contents. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own request. See the Liferay CVE-2025-43782 Advisory for vendor-published technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43782
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected API calls to workflow definition endpoints from low-privilege user accounts.
- Repeated requests enumerating workflow definitions by name from a single session or IP address.
- Access to workflow definitions by users outside of the workflow administrator or designer roles.
Detection Strategies
- Review Liferay access logs for GET requests targeting workflow definition API paths and correlate with the requesting user's assigned roles.
- Alert on any workflow definition retrieval by accounts that do not belong to workflow administration groups.
- Baseline normal API usage per role and flag deviations, such as bulk enumeration attempts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable detailed audit logging on the Liferay workflow subsystem and forward logs to a centralized SIEM.
- Track authentication events alongside API activity to identify newly created or dormant accounts issuing workflow queries.
- Monitor for privilege escalation attempts or configuration changes following any suspicious workflow definition access.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43782
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the fixes published in the Liferay CVE-2025-43782 Advisory to all affected Portal and DXP deployments.
- Inventory user accounts and remove or downgrade accounts that no longer require portal access.
- Review workflow definitions for sensitive data and rotate any credentials or tokens that may have been exposed.
Patch Information
Liferay has published fixes and mitigation guidance in its security advisory. Upgrade Liferay Portal to a version beyond 7.4.3.124, apply the corresponding DXP update beyond 2024.Q2.7, 2024.Q1.12, or 7.4 update 92, and follow the vendor's remediation steps documented in the Liferay advisory.
Workarounds
- Restrict network access to Liferay API endpoints using a reverse proxy or web application firewall until patches are applied.
- Enforce role-based access controls at the application gateway to block low-privilege users from calling workflow definition endpoints.
- Reduce the number of accounts with authenticated portal access to limit the exploitable population.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.