CVE-2023-33949: Release.portal.bom Insecure Default Initialization Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g9mr-9xfc-4gf7
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-1188
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-33949 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) insecure default initialization vulnerability (CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default) affecting Release.portal.bom libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves insecure default initialization in liferay portal. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 7.3.1.

CVE-2023-33949 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-33949
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g9mr-9xfc-4gf7
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default
Affected Product Release.portal.bom
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2023-33949

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Release.portal.bom dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom fixed: 7.3.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.liferay.portal</groupId>
    <artifactId>release.portal.bom</artifactId>
    <version>7.3.1</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.liferay.portal

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-33949, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.liferay.portal

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Release.portal.bom in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 7.3.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.liferay.portal command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default, where the product initializes or sets a resource with a default that is intended to be changed by the product's installer, administrator, or maintainer, but the default is not secure. In Release.portal.bom, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In Liferay Portal 7.3.0 and earlier, and Liferay DXP 7.2 and earlier the default configuration does not require users to verify their email address, which allows remote attackers to create accounts using fake email addresses or email addresses which they don't control. The portal property `company.security.strangers.verify` should be set to true.

CVE-2023-33949 Affected Release.portal.bom Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
7.3.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom
maven/com.liferay.portal/release.portal.bom
Maven
≥ 7.0.0
< 7.3.1
7.3.1

References

NVD — CVE-2023-33949 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-33949
Release.portal.bom Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/liferay/liferay-portal
Release.portal.bom Security Information SECURITY
https://liferay.dev/portal/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/jekt/content/cve-2023-33949

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-33949?
CVE-2023-33949 is a security vulnerability in Release.portal.bom involving Insecure Default Initialization In Liferay Portal under CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default.
Which Release.portal.bom versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 7.3.1 across affected packages: com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom.
What version fixes CVE-2023-33949?
Upgrading to 7.3.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is release.portal.bom affected?
Yes, com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom is affected in releases prior to 7.3.1. Upgrade your dependency to 7.3.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-33949?
CVE-2023-33949 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-33949?
CVE-2023-33949 is classified under CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default (The product initializes or sets a resource with a default that is intended to be changed by the product's installer, administrator, or maintainer, but the default is not secure.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-33949?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.liferay.portal'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-g9mr-9xfc-4gf7",
  "modified" : "2023-05-24T21:53:45Z",
  "published" : "2023-05-24T18:30:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-33949" ],
  "summary" : "Insecure Default Initialization In Liferay Portal",
  "details" : "In Liferay Portal 7.3.0 and earlier, and Liferay DXP 7.2 and earlier the default configuration does not require users to verify their email address, which allows remote attackers to create accounts using fake email addresses or email addresses which they don't control. The portal property `company.security.strangers.verify` should be set to true.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.3.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-33949"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/liferay/liferay-portal"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://liferay.dev/portal/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/jekt/content/cve-2023-33949"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1188" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-05-24T21:53:45Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-05-24T17:15:09Z"
  }
}