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CVE-2020-7961

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal

9.8 CriticalIn KEVPublic exploitFix available

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal prior to 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via JSON web services (JSONWS).

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

99.9%Up 50.2 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 9.8

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal prior to 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via JSON web services (JSONWS).

Record
CVE-2020-7961
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
7.5 HighAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-502
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List 9.8

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal prior to 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via JSON web services (JSONWS).

Record
CVE-2020-7961
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-502
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2022-5527 9.8

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal prior to 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via JSON web services (JSONWS).

Record
EUVD-2022-5527
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-w7pm-cc4v-f3g8 9.3

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal prior to 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via JSON web services (JSONWS).

Record
GHSA-w7pm-cc4v-f3g8
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H
Weakness
CWE-502
Updated
2026-11-02
CISA KEV No score

Liferay Portal Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability

Liferay Portal contains a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute code via JSON web services.

Record
CVE-2020-7961
Weakness
CWE-502
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 9.8

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal prior to 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via JSON web services (JSONWS).

Record
CVE-2020-7961
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-w7pm-cc4v-f3g8 9.3

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal prior to 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via JSON web services (JSONWS).

Record
GHSA-w7pm-cc4v-f3g8
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H
Weakness
CWE-502
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel
Maven
 before 4.35.3
4.35.3
com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel
Maven
 before 4.35.3, plus listed versions
1.0.01.0.11.0.21.0.32.0.0
Show 45 moreShow less
2.1.02.10.02.100.02.101.02.102.02.103.02.103.12.104.02.105.02.105.12.105.22.106.02.107.02.108.02.109.02.109.12.11.02.110.02.111.02.111.12.111.22.112.02.113.02.113.12.113.22.114.02.115.02.116.02.116.12.117.02.118.02.119.02.119.12.12.02.120.02.120.12.121.02.122.02.123.02.123.12.124.02.125.02.125.12.126.02.126.1
4.35.3

Public exploits

Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.

Public exploits
SourceLinkDate
MetasploitLiferay Portal Java Unmarshalling via JSONWS RCE2019-11-25
PoC in GitHubmzer0one/CVE-2020-7961-POC2020-03-26
Exploit-DBLiferay Portal - Java Unmarshalling via JSONWS RCE (Metasploit)2020-04-16
PoC in GitHubthelostworldFree/CVE-2020-7961-payloads2020-05-23
PoC in GitHubShutdownRepo/CVE-2020-79612021-01-14
PoC in GitHubCrackerCat/CVE-2020-7961-Mass2021-04-09
PoC in GitHubAlaa-abdulridha/POC-CVE-2020-7961-Token-iterate2021-05-26
PoC in GitHubAlaa-abdulridha/GLiferay-CVE-2020-7961-golang2021-05-27
PoC in GitHubpashayogi/CVE-2020-7961-Mass2022-05-22
PoC in GitHubmanrop2702/CVE-2020-79612024-03-14
PoC in GitHubneverhavenamee/CVE-2020-79612025-09-04
PoC in GitHubdinosn/liferay-ga4-rce-research2026-07-28
NucleiLiferay Portal Unauthenticated < 7.2.1 CE GA2 - Remote Code Execution

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
exploitation, exploits
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, Exploit-DB, GitHub Advisories, CISA KEV, Metasploit, Nuclei, NVD, OSV, PoC in GitHub

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-7961 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Liferay Portal, published March 20, 2020. CISA lists it as known to be exploited, since November 3, 2021. EUVD reports exploitation since November 3, 2021. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 99.9%, the 99th percentile. Fixed in com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel 4.35.3.

References

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