CVE-2025-43825 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Liferay Portal and Liferay DXP, specifically versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.132 and various quarterly releases from 2023.Q3 through 2025.Q1. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-201, which involves the insertion of sensitive information into sent data. In this case, the flaw allows sensitive user data to be included improperly within Freemarker templates used by the Liferay Portal. Freemarker is a widely used Java-based template engine for generating web pages and other text outputs. The vulnerability arises because unauthorized actors can access and potentially render confidential information that should otherwise remain restricted. This could lead to unintended data disclosure through the portal's rendered content. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates that the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:H indicates high privileges required, but the vector states PR:H which conflicts with AT:N), user interaction is required (UI:A), and the impact on confidentiality is low (VC:L), with no impact on integrity or availability. However, the presence of user interaction and the requirement for high privileges suggest that exploitation may be limited to authenticated users with elevated rights who can influence Freemarker templates or content rendering. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches are linked yet, indicating that organizations should be vigilant and monitor for updates. The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user information, potentially including personal data or internal system details, depending on what is embedded in the templates. This exposure could facilitate further attacks such as social engineering, privilege escalation, or data exfiltration if leveraged effectively by attackers.

For European organizations using Liferay Portal or Liferay DXP, this vulnerability poses a risk of sensitive data leakage through the portal interface. Given that Liferay is often used for enterprise content management, intranet portals, and customer-facing websites, unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user data could violate GDPR and other data protection regulations, leading to legal and financial repercussions. The impact is particularly significant for organizations handling personal identifiable information (PII), financial data, or confidential business information. The requirement for high privileges and user interaction limits the risk to some extent, but insider threats or compromised privileged accounts could exploit this vulnerability to access restricted information. Additionally, the exposure of sensitive data could undermine trust in the organization’s digital services and damage reputation. The medium CVSS score reflects a moderate risk, but the regulatory environment in Europe heightens the importance of addressing such data leakage vulnerabilities promptly.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Immediately audit and review Freemarker template configurations and the data they expose, ensuring that sensitive information is not unnecessarily included or rendered. 2) Restrict access to template editing and content management interfaces to only trusted, highly vetted personnel with strict role-based access controls. 3) Monitor user activities related to template modifications and rendering for unusual or unauthorized behavior. 4) Apply the principle of least privilege rigorously to all accounts with access to the portal’s backend and template management. 5) Stay alert for official patches or updates from Liferay and apply them promptly once available. 6) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on template injection and data exposure vectors. 7) Implement web application firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting template rendering endpoints. 8) Educate privileged users about the risks of exposing sensitive data through templates and enforce strict change management procedures.