CVE-2020-7961
Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal
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.
- Severity
- 9.8 CriticalCVSS 3.1, NVD
- Exploit chance
- 99.9%EPSS, 99th percentile
- Exploitation
- ExploitedCISA KEV,
- Fixed in
4.35.3com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel +1 more
Description
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
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernelMaven | before 4.35.3 | 4.35.3 |
com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernelMaven | before 4.35.3, plus listed versions 1.0.01.0.11.0.21.0.32.0.0 Show 45 moreShow less2.1.02.10.02.100.02.101.02.102.02.103.02.103.12.104.02.105.02.105.12.105.22.106.02.107.02.108.02.109.02.109.12.11.02.110.02.111.02.111.12.111.22.112.02.113.02.113.12.113.22.114.02.115.02.116.02.116.12.117.02.118.02.119.02.119.12.12.02.120.02.120.12.121.02.122.02.123.02.123.12.124.02.125.02.125.12.126.02.126.1 | 4.35.3 |
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | Liferay Portal Java Unmarshalling via JSONWS RCE | 2019-11-25 |
| PoC in GitHub | mzer0one/CVE-2020-7961-POC | 2020-03-26 |
| Exploit-DB | Liferay Portal - Java Unmarshalling via JSONWS RCE (Metasploit) | 2020-04-16 |
| PoC in GitHub | thelostworldFree/CVE-2020-7961-payloads | 2020-05-23 |
| PoC in GitHub | ShutdownRepo/CVE-2020-7961 | 2021-01-14 |
| PoC in GitHub | CrackerCat/CVE-2020-7961-Mass | 2021-04-09 |
| PoC in GitHub | Alaa-abdulridha/POC-CVE-2020-7961-Token-iterate | 2021-05-26 |
| PoC in GitHub | Alaa-abdulridha/GLiferay-CVE-2020-7961-golang | 2021-05-27 |
| PoC in GitHub | pashayogi/CVE-2020-7961-Mass | 2022-05-22 |
| PoC in GitHub | manrop2702/CVE-2020-7961 | 2024-03-14 |
| PoC in GitHub | neverhavenamee/CVE-2020-7961 | 2025-09-04 |
| PoC in GitHub | dinosn/liferay-ga4-rce-research | 2026-07-28 |
| Nuclei | Liferay Portal Unauthenticated < 7.2.1 CE GA2 - Remote Code Execution |
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 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.5 High
AV: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 Critical
CVSS: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 Critical
CVSS: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 Critical
CVSS: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 Critical
CVSS: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 KEVNo 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 Critical
CVSS: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 Critical
CVSS: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 Critical
CVSS: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
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| exploitation, exploits | ||
| first indexed | CVE 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.
References
portal.liferay.dev/learn/security/known-vulnerabilities
portal.liferay.dev/learn/security/known-vulnerabilities/-/asset_publisher/HbL5mxmVrnXW/content/id/117954271
packetstormsecurity.com/files/157254/Liferay-Portal-Java-Unmarshalling-Remote-Code-Execution.html
packetstormsecurity.com/files/158392/Liferay-Portal-Remote-Code-Execution.html
research.checkpoint.com/2021/freakout-leveraging-newest-vulnerabilities-for-creating-a-botnet
cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-7961
Left out here: 519 versions. The JSON record has them.