HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-33338
HIGH

CVE-2021-33338

CWE-352Published: August 4, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The Layout module in Liferay Portal 7.1.0 through 7.3.2, and Liferay DXP 7.1 before fix pack 19, and 7.2 before fix pack 6, exposes the CSRF token in URLs, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to obtain the token and conduct Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks via the p_auth parameter.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-33338 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

liferay2 product(s)
digital experience platformliferay portal
Source: NVD CPE · 3 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://issues.liferay.com/browse/LPE-17030
ADVISORYhttps://portal.liferay.dev/learn/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/HbL5mxmVrnXW/content/id/120748276
ADVISORYhttps://issues.liferay.com/browse/LPE-17030
ADVISORYhttps://portal.liferay.dev/learn/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/HbL5mxmVrnXW/content/id/120748276

All References (4)

→
https://issues.liferay.com/browse/LPE-17030Issue Tracking · Vendor Advisory
→
https://portal.liferay.dev/learn/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/HbL5mxmVrnXW/content/id/120748276Vendor Advisory
→
https://issues.liferay.com/browse/LPE-17030Issue Tracking · Vendor Advisory
→
https://portal.liferay.dev/learn/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/HbL5mxmVrnXW/content/id/120748276Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-33338
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-352
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 4, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-352)

CVE-2025-32642
10.0
CVE-2025-23922
10.0
CVE-2017-5145
10.0
CVE-2024-29684
9.8
CVE-2023-4659
9.8
CVE-2024-47634
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-33338 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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