CVE-2025-4581 is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability identified in Liferay Portal versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.132 and multiple versions of Liferay DXP from 2024.Q1.1 through 2025.Q1.4. The vulnerability resides in the portal-settings-authentication-opensso-web component, where improper validation of user-supplied URLs allows an unauthenticated attacker to induce the server to make arbitrary HTTP requests. This is a pre-authentication blind SSRF, meaning the attacker does not require any credentials to exploit the flaw, and the server’s responses to these requests are not directly visible to the attacker, complicating detection but still enabling internal network reconnaissance. By exploiting this SSRF, attackers can potentially access internal services that are not exposed externally, enumerate internal network resources, and possibly leverage this foothold to launch further attacks such as accessing sensitive internal APIs, exploiting other vulnerabilities, or exfiltrating data. The CVSS v4.0 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and limited impact on confidentiality. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability’s presence in widely used enterprise portal software makes it a significant concern. The lack of available patches at the time of reporting emphasizes the need for immediate mitigation and monitoring.

For European organizations, the impact of this SSRF vulnerability can be substantial, especially for enterprises and public sector entities relying on Liferay Portal for intranet, extranet, or customer-facing portals. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized internal network scanning and access to internal services that are otherwise protected by perimeter defenses. This can compromise confidentiality by exposing sensitive internal endpoints and potentially lead to lateral movement within the network. Integrity and availability impacts are less direct but could arise if attackers leverage SSRF to trigger further exploits or denial-of-service conditions on internal systems. Given the pre-authentication nature, attackers can attempt exploitation without valid credentials, increasing risk exposure. Organizations in sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and critical infrastructure that use Liferay Portal may face increased risk of espionage, data breaches, or disruption. Additionally, compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations could be jeopardized if internal data is accessed or exfiltrated due to this vulnerability.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting outbound HTTP requests from the Liferay Portal server to only trusted internal and external destinations using network-level controls such as firewall rules or proxy whitelisting. 2. Apply strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied URLs in the portal-settings-authentication-opensso-web component, if custom patches or workarounds are possible before official patches are released. 3. Monitor network traffic originating from the Liferay Portal server for unusual or unexpected outbound HTTP requests that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block SSRF attack patterns targeting the vulnerable endpoints. 5. Keep Liferay Portal installations up to date and apply official patches as soon as they become available from the vendor. 6. Conduct internal network segmentation to limit the impact of SSRF by isolating critical internal services from the portal server. 7. Perform regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on SSRF and related vulnerabilities in the portal environment.