# CVE-2022-28981: Liferay Portal Path Traversal Vulnerability via the Hypermedia REST APIs Module

> Remote attackers can access arbitrary files outside the intended directory via a path traversal flaw in the Hypermedia REST APIs module.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Sep 2022
- **Updated:** 9 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5j86-vmpx-42pc

## What is CVE-2022-28981?

CVE-2022-28981 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Liferay Liferay Portal, published on 22 Sep 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Path traversal vulnerability in the Hypermedia REST APIs module in Liferay Portal 7.4.0 through 7.4.2 allows remote attackers to access files outside of com.liferay.headless.discovery.web/META-INF/resources via the `parameter` parameter.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-28981?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including com.liferay:com.liferay.headless.discovery.web. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `com.liferay:com.liferay.headless.discovery.web` | Maven | All versions | 4.0.12 |
| `com.liferay:com.liferay.headless.discovery.web` | Maven | All versions | 4.0.12 |

Products: Liferay Liferay Portal.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-28981?

Upgrade com.liferay:com.liferay.headless.discovery.web to 4.0.12 or later.

## Is CVE-2022-28981 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-28981 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-2022-28981 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-28981 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Liferay Liferay Portal, published on 22 Sep 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-28981 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- com.liferay:com.liferay.headless.discovery.web (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 4.0.12
- com.liferay:com.liferay.headless.discovery.web (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 4.0.12

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-2022-28981/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28981/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-28981
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-28981
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-28981

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28981/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.