# CVE-2023-33949: Insecure Default Initialization In Liferay Portal

> Remote attackers can create accounts with fake emails due to default settings, requiring administrators to enable email verification.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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:** 24 May 2023
- **Updated:** 22 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-liferay-2023-33949, GHSA-g9mr-9xfc-4gf7

## What is CVE-2023-33949?

CVE-2023-33949 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Liferay Digital Experience Platform, published on 24 May 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Liferay Portal 7.3.0 and earlier, and Liferay DXP 7.2 and earlier the default configuration does not require users to verify their email address, which allows remote attackers to create accounts using fake email addresses or email addresses which they don't control. The portal property `company.security.strangers.verify` should be set to true.

Weakness: CWE-1188 (Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-33949?

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 7.0.0 | 7.3.1 |
| `com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom` | Maven | From 7.0.0 | 7.3.1 |
| `liferay` | Bitnami | From 7.0.0 to 7.0.0 | None |

Products: Liferay Digital Experience Platform, Liferay Liferay Portal.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-33949?

Upgrade com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom to 7.3.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-33949 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-33949 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-2023-33949 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-33949 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Liferay Digital Experience Platform, published on 24 May 2023. 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-2023-33949 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom (Maven): affected from 7.0.0; fixed in 7.3.1
- com.liferay.portal:release.portal.bom (Maven): affected from 7.0.0; fixed in 7.3.1
- liferay (Bitnami): affected from 7.0.0 up to 7.0.0; 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-2023-33949/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33949/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-33949
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-33949
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-33949

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33949/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.