CVE-2025-43778 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting multiple versions of the Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP products, specifically versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.132 and various 2024 and 2025 quarterly releases. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), where an authenticated remote attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code via the name attribute of a fieldset in the Kaleo Forms Admin interface. Because the payload is stored and later rendered without proper sanitization or escaping, it executes in the context of users who view the affected pages. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 4.8 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based, requires high privileges (authenticated user), and some user interaction (viewing the malicious content). The impact on confidentiality and integrity is limited but non-negligible, as the attacker could execute arbitrary scripts in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation within the portal, or further exploitation of client-side trust. Availability impact is minimal. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches are linked yet, indicating that organizations should prioritize monitoring and mitigation. The vulnerability affects a widely used enterprise portal platform that supports content management, collaboration, and workflow automation, making it a valuable target for attackers seeking to compromise internal business processes or steal sensitive information.

For European organizations using Liferay Portal or Liferay DXP, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. Many enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions in Europe deploy Liferay for intranet portals, customer-facing websites, and digital experience platforms. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute malicious scripts in the browsers of portal users, potentially leading to theft of authentication tokens, unauthorized actions within the portal, or distribution of malware. This could result in data breaches, disruption of business workflows, and reputational damage. Given the requirement for authenticated access, the threat is more significant in environments with many users having elevated privileges or where user account controls are weak. The stored nature of the XSS means that once injected, the malicious payload persists and can affect multiple users over time. The medium CVSS score reflects a moderate likelihood and impact, but the strategic importance of affected organizations in sectors like finance, healthcare, and government in Europe elevates the operational risk.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting access to the Kaleo Forms Admin interface to only trusted administrators and users with a strict need to manage forms. 2. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data, especially the name fields in forms, to prevent injection of executable scripts. 3. Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 4. Monitor logs and portal activity for unusual form field names or suspicious user behavior indicative of attempted exploitation. 5. Apply principle of least privilege to user accounts to reduce the impact of compromised credentials. 6. Stay alert for official patches or updates from Liferay and plan prompt deployment once available. 7. Consider using web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS payloads targeting Liferay. 8. Educate portal users and administrators about the risks of XSS and safe browsing practices to reduce the risk of social engineering or follow-on attacks.