# CVE-2019-6588: Liferay Portal Allows Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via the SimpleCaptcha API

> Cross-site scripting in Liferay Portal's SimpleCaptcha API allows attackers to execute scripts if custom code passes unsanitized input to the captcha URL parameter.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.7 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Jun 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hwp2-gvm5-452f

## What is CVE-2019-6588?

CVE-2019-6588 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Liferay Liferay Portal, published on 3 Jun 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

In Liferay Portal before 7.1 CE GA4, an XSS vulnerability exists in the SimpleCaptcha API when custom code passes unsanitized input into the "url" parameter of the JSP taglib call <liferay-ui:captcha url="<%= url %>" /> or <liferay-captcha:captcha url="<%= url %>" />. Liferay Portal out-of-the-box behavior with no customizations is not vulnerable.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-6588?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom` | Maven | All versions | 7.1.0 |
| `com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom` | Maven | All versions | 7.1.0 |

Products: Liferay Liferay Portal.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-6588?

Upgrade com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom to 7.1.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2019-6588 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-6588 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Liferay Portal 7.1 CE GA=3 / SimpleCaptcha API - Cross-Site Scripting (exploitdb)

## 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-2019-6588 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-6588 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Liferay Liferay Portal, published on 3 Jun 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-6588 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 7.1.0
- com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 7.1.0

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-2019-6588/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-6588/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-6588
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-6588
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-6588

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-6588/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.