CVE-2025-62261 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) affecting Liferay Portal versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.3.99 and multiple Liferay DXP releases including 2023.Q3.1 through 2023.Q3.4, as well as earlier unsupported versions. The core issue is that password reset tokens, which are critical for user account recovery and password changes, are stored in plaintext within the backend database. This improper storage means that any attacker who gains read access to the database can directly obtain these tokens without needing to compromise the application layer or perform complex cryptographic attacks. With possession of a valid reset token, an attacker can reset the password of the associated user account and gain full control over it. The vulnerability does not require user interaction, and no network authentication is needed beyond database access, which is typically restricted but can be compromised through other means such as SQL injection, insider threats, or misconfigurations. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 6.9 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required at the application level, but high impact on confidentiality due to token exposure. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Liferay versions, including both community and enterprise editions, increasing the scope of affected systems. No patches were linked at the time of reporting, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild, but the risk remains significant due to the sensitive nature of the tokens involved.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-62261 can be substantial, especially for those relying on Liferay Portal or DXP for customer-facing portals, internal collaboration platforms, or digital services. Unauthorized access to password reset tokens can lead to account takeovers, resulting in data breaches, unauthorized transactions, or disruption of services. This can compromise confidentiality and integrity of user accounts and potentially lead to lateral movement within the network if compromised accounts have elevated privileges. Organizations in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government may face compliance violations and reputational damage. The vulnerability also increases the risk of insider threats or attackers exploiting other vulnerabilities to gain database access and then leveraging this flaw for privilege escalation. Since Liferay is widely used in Europe, especially in countries with strong digital government initiatives and enterprise adoption, the threat could affect a large number of users and services. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the ease of exploitation once database access is obtained means the risk should be treated seriously.

1. Immediately restrict and audit database access to ensure only authorized personnel and services have read/write permissions, minimizing the risk of unauthorized token retrieval. 2. Monitor database access logs for unusual or unauthorized queries that might indicate attempts to extract sensitive tokens. 3. Apply vendor patches or updates as soon as they become available to address the plaintext storage issue. 4. If patches are not yet available, implement compensating controls such as encrypting the password reset tokens at rest within the database using strong encryption algorithms and secure key management. 5. Review and enhance application-level logging and alerting to detect suspicious password reset activities or multiple reset attempts. 6. Conduct a thorough security review of the environment to identify and remediate any other vulnerabilities that could lead to database compromise, such as SQL injection or misconfigured access controls. 7. Educate administrators and developers about secure storage practices for sensitive data to prevent similar issues in the future. 8. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) on user accounts to reduce the impact of token compromise.