Liferay API Axis Exposed Scanner
This scanner detects the Liferay API Exposure in digital assets. It checks for improperly configured services that allow unrestricted access to APIs, potentially exposing sensitive information.
Short Info
Level
Medium
Single Scan
Single Scan
Can be used by
Asset Owner
Estimated Time
10 seconds
Time Interval
1 week 9 hours
Scan only one
URL
Toolbox
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Liferay is a popular open-source enterprise portal used to manage web content and applications. It is adopted by numerous organizations worldwide for organizing and displaying content and services to their users. The portal offers functionalities such as content management, collaboration, social networking, and workflow, making it suitable for businesses, government institutions, and higher education establishments. Liferay is known for its scalability and flexibility, making it a preferred choice for building intranets, extranets, websites, and digital experience platforms. Users value Liferay for its ability to integrate various technologies seamlessly, allowing for customization and feature enhancements. The software supports heavyweight implementations that serve thousands of concurrent users.
API Exposure is a vulnerability where an API is unintentionally left accessible to unauthorized parties. This occurs when developers expose APIs during testing or development but fail to secure them once the software is deployed in a production environment. Unauthorized exposure of APIs can lead to exploitation, allowing attackers to access, modify, or delete data. API Exposure vulnerabilities commonly arise from insufficient access controls and failure to adhere to principle of least privilege. Detection of these vulnerabilities is crucial to prevent unauthorized data access or manipulation. When an API Exposure vulnerability is detected, it indicates the need to enforce stricter access policies, update authentication mechanisms, and audit API endpoints.
The API Exposure vulnerability in Liferay Portal is identified by accessing the publicly exposed API endpoint `/api/axis`. This endpoint potentially provides access to sensitive services without authentication. The scanner checks for an HTML response indicating the presence of this endpoint and verifies that the response contains service-related content. Additional checks involve ensuring the response headers include certain content types, further confirming the exposure. The improper configuration often results from overlooked security settings during deployment. The vulnerability is triggered when web servers fail to restrict or secure access, leaving APIs open to internet traffic. Mitigating this exposure requires reviewing service endpoints and implementing comprehensive security controls.
Exploiting the API Exposure vulnerability can lead to data compromise, unauthorized access to backend services, and leakage of sensitive information. Malicious actors could utilize Exposure APIs for reconnaissance, data theft, or even to exploit additional vulnerabilities within the system. An exposed API endpoint might allow attackers to interact with backend resources designed for private access, potentially leading to significant security breaches. Organizations might face compliance violations and reputational damage due to unauthorized data exposure. Additionally, attackers gaining insights into the exposed services may develop more sophisticated attacks targeting the system architecture or database. Promptly addressing and securing exposed APIs is crucial to protecting against these threats.
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