CVE-2025-43792 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-15 (External Control of System or Configuration Setting) affecting multiple versions of Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP, including 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.105, 7.4 GA through update 92, 7.3 GA through update 35, and several 2023 Q3 and Q4 releases. The issue arises in the remote staging feature, where the portal does not correctly validate or obtain the remote address of the live site from the database. This flaw allows a remote authenticated user to manipulate the parameters _com_liferay_exportimport_web_portlet_ExportImportPortlet_remoteAddress and _com_liferay_exportimport_web_portlet_ExportImportPortlet_remotePort to exfiltrate data to an attacker-controlled server posing as a fake live site. However, exploitation requires the attacker to have access to the staging server's shared secret and to add their malicious server to the staging server's whitelist, which imposes significant barriers to exploitation. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 2.3 (low severity), reflecting the limited impact and high attack complexity. No known exploits are reported in the wild. The vulnerability primarily impacts confidentiality by enabling data exfiltration but does not affect integrity or availability. The attack vector is network-based, requiring low privileges but no user interaction. The vulnerability is rooted in improper external control of configuration settings, specifically the remote address and port used for staging operations, which can be manipulated to redirect data flows.

For European organizations using affected Liferay Portal or DXP versions, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized data exfiltration from staging environments to attacker-controlled servers. Although exploitation requires authentication and knowledge of the staging server's shared secret, insider threats or compromised credentials could enable attackers to leverage this flaw. The impact is primarily on confidentiality, potentially exposing sensitive staging data, which may include pre-production content, user information, or proprietary configurations. Given Liferay's popularity in sectors such as government, education, and enterprises across Europe, organizations relying on remote staging for content management could face data leakage risks. However, the low CVSS score and exploitation prerequisites limit the threat's immediacy. Still, organizations with lax credential management or insufficient staging environment segregation may be more vulnerable. The vulnerability does not affect system availability or integrity, so operational disruption is unlikely. Nonetheless, data confidentiality breaches could lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR and reputational damage.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately verify and restrict access to the staging server's shared secret, ensuring it is complex, rotated regularly, and only accessible to authorized personnel. 2) Audit and tighten the staging server's whitelist configuration to prevent unauthorized servers from being added. 3) Upgrade affected Liferay Portal and DXP instances to patched versions once available, or apply vendor-provided mitigations. 4) Monitor staging environment logs for unusual remoteAddress and remotePort parameter usage or unexpected outbound connections to unknown servers. 5) Enforce strong authentication and access controls on staging environments to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 6) Segment staging environments network-wise to limit exposure to external networks and reduce the attack surface. 7) Conduct regular security assessments of staging configurations to detect misconfigurations or unauthorized changes. 8) Educate administrators about the risks of external control of configuration settings and the importance of securing staging infrastructure.