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CVE Record

CVE-2021-33332: Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Portlet Configuration module in Liferay Portal 7.1.0 throug...

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Portlet Configuration module in Liferay Portal 7.1.0 through 7.3.2, and Liferay DXP 7.1 before fix pack 19, and 7.2 before fix pack 7, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the _com_liferay_portlet_configuration_css_web_portlet_PortletConfigurationCSSPortlet_portletResource parameter.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2021-33332 is an XSS flaw in Liferay's Portlet Configuration module. A remote attacker could inject web script or HTML through a named portletResource parameter. Business impact depends on who can reach the affected function and what privileges victims have in the portal.

Executive priority

Prioritize validation for internet-facing or partner-facing Liferay portals, especially where administrators or content managers use the system. With no CVSS or exploitation evidence in the bundle, treat this as a timely patching and exposure-reduction task rather than an emergency.

Technical view

The issue affects Liferay Portal 7.1.0 through 7.3.2, Liferay DXP 7.1 before fix pack 19, and DXP 7.2 before fix pack 7. The vulnerable parameter is _com_liferay_portlet_configuration_css_web_portlet_PortletConfigurationCSSPortlet_portletResource. Sources do not provide CVSS, CWE, authentication context, or exploit details.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely where affected Liferay Portal or DXP versions are deployed and the Portlet Configuration module is reachable. The provided sources do not state whether authentication is required, so validate both public and authenticated portal surfaces.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. The disclosed impact is remote injection of arbitrary web script or HTML, which can threaten sessions, portal administration workflows, and user trust if triggered in a victim browser.

Researcher notes

Evidence is limited to the CVE description and Liferay references. Do not assume exploit maturity, authentication requirements, or affected configurations beyond the stated versions and parameter. Focus research on version confirmation, reachable routes, and vendor fix-pack applicability.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade Liferay Portal or DXP outside the affected ranges per vendor guidance.
  • For DXP 7.1, verify fix pack 19 or later is applied.
  • For DXP 7.2, verify fix pack 7 or later is applied.
  • Restrict access to portal administration and configuration surfaces where possible.
  • Monitor vendor advisories for any additional mitigation or backport guidance.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory all Liferay Portal and DXP instances and record exact versions.
  • Check whether Portlet Configuration functionality is reachable from untrusted networks.
  • Review web logs for requests containing the disclosed portletResource parameter.
  • Confirm applied fix packs against Liferay's advisory or internal patch records.
  • Assess whether privileged portal users may have interacted with suspicious links.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

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CVE-2021-33332 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.