CVE-2020-24554 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Liferay Portal before 7.3.3 allows remote attackers to conduct a denial of service attack due to a vulnerability in the redirect module.

Understanding CVE-2020-24554

The redirect module in Liferay Portal before version 7.3.3 has a security flaw that can be exploited by attackers for a denial of service attack.

What is CVE-2020-24554?

The vulnerability in the redirect module of Liferay Portal allows remote attackers to trigger a denial of service by repeatedly requesting non-existent pages, leading to a 404 error.

The Impact of CVE-2020-24554

This vulnerability enables attackers to disrupt the availability of the Liferay Portal service by overwhelming it with requests for non-existent pages, potentially causing downtime and service unavailability.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-24554

The technical aspects of the CVE-2020-24554 vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

The redirect module in Liferay Portal before version 7.3.3 does not restrict the number of URLs resulting in a 404 error, allowing attackers to exploit this behavior for a denial of service attack.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Liferay Portal
Versions affected: Before 7.3.3

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending repeated requests for non-existent pages, causing the system to record multiple 404 errors and potentially leading to a denial of service condition.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-24554 and enhance security measures, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Liferay Portal to version 7.3.3 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement rate limiting or monitoring mechanisms to detect and prevent excessive requests for non-existent pages.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit web server logs for unusual patterns of 404 errors.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches and updates provided by Liferay to ensure the system is protected against known vulnerabilities.