# CVE-2011-1502: XML external entity in n/a

> Authenticated attackers can read arbitrary files via XML External Entity injection in Liferay Portal when using Apache Tomcat.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 May 2011
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xhf5-qrfm-cqf5

## What is CVE-2011-1502?

CVE-2011-1502 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Liferay Liferay Portal, published on 7 May 2011. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Liferay Portal Community Edition (CE) 6.x before 6.0.6 GA, when Apache Tomcat is used, allows remote authenticated users to read arbitrary files via an entity declaration in conjunction with an entity reference, related to an XML External Entity (aka XXE) issue.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-1502?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Liferay Liferay Portal.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-1502?

No fix has been published for CVE-2011-1502 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2011-1502 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-1502 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Liferay Liferay Portal

- [CVE-2020-7961](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7961/): Liferay Portal Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-33990](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33990/): File upload in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-16891](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16891/): Liferay Portal Allows RCE via Deserialization of a JSON Payload (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-47797](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-47797/): Liferay Portal XSS with `p_l_back_url_title` on edit content page (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2020-13445](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13445/): Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP Vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-1502 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-1502 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Liferay Liferay Portal, published on 7 May 2011. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-1502 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Liferay Liferay Portal. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1502/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1502/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-1502
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-1502
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-1502

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1502/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.