# CVE-2023-33945: SQL injection in Liferay Portal

> Attackers can execute arbitrary SQL commands during the upgrade process if they can modify the database beforehand, affecting Liferay Portal and DXP.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 May 2023
- **Updated:** 22 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-liferay-2023-33945, GHSA-g7vw-43xg-8m4h

## What is CVE-2023-33945?

CVE-2023-33945 is a medium-severity SQL injection vulnerability in Liferay Digital Experience Platform, published on 24 May 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

SQL injection vulnerability in the upgrade process for SQL Server in Liferay Portal 7.3.1 through 7.4.3.17, and Liferay DXP 7.3 before update 6, and 7.4 before update 18 allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the name of a database table's primary key index. This vulnerability is only exploitable when chained with other attacks. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must modify the database and wait for the application to be upgraded.

Weakness: CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-33945?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom and liferay. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom` | Maven | From 7.3.1 | 7.4.3.18 |
| `com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom` | Maven | From 7.3.1 | 7.4.3.18 |
| `liferay` | Bitnami | From 7.3.0 to 7.3.0 | None |

Products: Liferay Digital Experience Platform, Liferay Liferay Portal.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-33945?

Upgrade com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom to 7.4.3.18 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-33945 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-33945 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Liferay Digital Experience Platform

- [CVE-2024-8980](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8980/): Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP Vulnerable to CSRF in the Script Console (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2023-42496](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42496/): Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP vulnerable to reflected Cross-site Scripting (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2023-42498](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42498/): Liferay Portal Language Override edit screen and Liferay DXP vulnerable to reflected Cross-site Scripting (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2024-25147](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25147/): Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP vulnerable to Cross-site Scripting (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2024-26269](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26269/): Liferay Portal Frontend JS module's portlet.js and Liferay DXP vulnerable to Cross-site Scripting (critical 9.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-33945 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-33945 is a medium-severity SQL injection vulnerability in Liferay Digital Experience Platform, published on 24 May 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-33945 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom (Maven): affected from 7.3.1; fixed in 7.4.3.18
- com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom (Maven): affected from 7.3.1; fixed in 7.4.3.18
- liferay (Bitnami): affected from 7.3.0 up to 7.3.0; no fix listed

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-2023-33945/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33945/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-33945
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-33945
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-33945

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33945/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.