Vulnerabilities in pkg:maven/com.liferay/com.liferay.flags.taglib

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wg4x-hf94-fj5v
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Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-33320 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) liferay portal and liferay dxp vulnerability (CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) affecting Com.liferay.flags.taglib libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves liferay portal and liferay dxp vulnerable to email spam via lack of flagging rate. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.0.11, 7.0.10.fp96, 7.1.10.fp20, 7.2.10.fp5.

1 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:maven/com.liferay/com.liferay.flags.taglib

1 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:maven/com.liferay/com.liferay.flags.taglib. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-wg4x-hf94-fj5v CVE-2021-33320 MODERATE Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP vulnerable to email spam via lack of flagging rate

CVE-2021-33320 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-33320
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wg4x-hf94-fj5v
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
CWE Classification CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
Affected Product Com.liferay.flags.taglib
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.3

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-33320

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Com.liferay.flags.taglib 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:com.liferay.flags.taglib fixed: 5.0.11 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.liferay</groupId>
    <artifactId>com.liferay.flags.taglib</artifactId>
    <version>5.0.11</version>
</dependency>
com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom fixed: 7.0.10.fp96 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.liferay.portal</groupId>
    <artifactId>release.dxp.bom</artifactId>
    <version>7.0.10.fp96</version>
</dependency>
com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom fixed: 7.1.10.fp20 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.liferay.portal</groupId>
    <artifactId>release.dxp.bom</artifactId>
    <version>7.1.10.fp20</version>
</dependency>
com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom fixed: 7.2.10.fp5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.liferay.portal</groupId>
    <artifactId>release.dxp.bom</artifactId>
    <version>7.2.10.fp5</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

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-33320, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.liferay

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Com.liferay.flags.taglib in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.0.11), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.liferay 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-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling, where the product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated. In Com.liferay.flags.taglib, 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

The Flags module before version 5.0.11 in Liferay Portal 7.3.1 and earlier, and Liferay DXP 7.0 before fix pack 96, 7.1 before fix pack 20, and 7.2 before fix pack 5, does not limit the rate at which content can be flagged as inappropriate, which allows remote authenticated users to spam the site administrator with emails

CVE-2021-33320 Affected Com.liferay.flags.taglib Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.0.117.0.10.fp967.1.10.fp207.2.10.fp5
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.liferay:com.liferay.flags.taglib
maven/com.liferay/com.liferay.flags.taglib
Maven
< 5.0.11
5.0.11
com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom
maven/com.liferay.portal/release.dxp.bom
Maven
≥ 7.0.0
< 7.0.10.fp96
7.0.10.fp96
com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom
maven/com.liferay.portal/release.dxp.bom
Maven
≥ 7.1.0
< 7.1.10.fp20
7.1.10.fp20
com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom
maven/com.liferay.portal/release.dxp.bom
Maven
≥ 7.2.0
< 7.2.10.fp5
7.2.10.fp5

References

NVD — CVE-2021-33320 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-33320
Com.liferay.flags.taglib Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/liferay/liferay-portal
issues.liferay.com/browse/lpe-17007 WEB
https://issues.liferay.com/browse/LPE-17007
Com.liferay.flags.taglib Security Information SECURITY
https://liferay.dev/portal/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/jekt/content/cve-2021-33320-flagging-content-as-inappropriate-is-not-rate-limited?p_r_p_assetEntryId=121611464&_com_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_jekt_redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fliferay.dev%3A443%2Fportal%2Fsecurity%2Fknown-vulnerabilities%3Fp_p_id%3Dcom_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_jekt%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_r_p_assetEntryId%3D121611464%26_com_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_jekt_cur%3D0%26p_r_p_resetCur%3Dfalse

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-33320?
CVE-2021-33320 is a security vulnerability in Com.liferay.flags.taglib involving Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP vulnerable to email spam via lack of flagging rate under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling.
Which Com.liferay.flags.taglib versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.0.11, 7.0.10.fp96, 7.1.10.fp20, 7.2.10.fp5 across affected packages: com.liferay:com.liferay.flags.taglib, com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom.
What version fixes CVE-2021-33320?
Upgrading to 5.0.11, 7.0.10.fp96, 7.1.10.fp20, 7.2.10.fp5 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is com.liferay.flags.taglib affected?
Yes, com.liferay:com.liferay.flags.taglib is affected in releases prior to 5.0.11. Upgrade your dependency to 5.0.11 or later.
Is release.dxp.bom affected?
Yes, com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom is affected in releases prior to 7.0.10.fp96, 7.1.10.fp20, 7.2.10.fp5. Upgrade your dependency to 7.0.10.fp96, 7.1.10.fp20, 7.2.10.fp5 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-33320?
CVE-2021-33320 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-33320?
CVE-2021-33320 is classified under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (The product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-33320?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.liferay'. 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-wg4x-hf94-fj5v",
  "modified" : "2025-07-14T16:26:52Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T19:09:46Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-33320" ],
  "summary" : "Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP vulnerable to email spam via lack of flagging rate",
  "details" : "The Flags module before version 5.0.11 in Liferay Portal 7.3.1 and earlier, and Liferay DXP 7.0 before fix pack 96, 7.1 before fix pack 20, and 7.2 before fix pack 5, does not limit the rate at which content can be flagged as inappropriate, which allows remote authenticated users to spam the site administrator with emails",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.liferay:com.liferay.flags.taglib"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.0.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.0.10.fp96"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.1.10.fp20"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.liferay.portal:release.dxp.bom"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.2.10.fp5"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-33320"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/liferay/liferay-portal"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://issues.liferay.com/browse/LPE-17007"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://liferay.dev/portal/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/jekt/content/cve-2021-33320-flagging-content-as-inappropriate-is-not-rate-limited?p_r_p_assetEntryId=121611464&_com_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_jekt_redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fliferay.dev%3A443%2Fportal%2Fsecurity%2Fknown-vulnerabilities%3Fp_p_id%3Dcom_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_jekt%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_r_p_assetEntryId%3D121611464%26_com_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_jekt_cur%3D0%26p_r_p_resetCur%3Dfalse"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-770" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-07-14T16:26:51Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-08-03T19:15:00Z"
  }
}