# CVE-2020-7961: Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Liferay Portal

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-7961-liferay-portal-deserialization-of-untrusted-data-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2022-05-24. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2020-7961 · Severity: critical · CVSS 3.1 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2022-05-24

Liferay Portal contains a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability in its JSON web services (JSONWS). Remote attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code on the server without authentication.

Technologies: [Liferay Portal](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/portal), [com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel (Maven)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/com-liferay-portal-com-liferay-portal-kernel). Vendors: [Liferay](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/liferay), [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2020-7961 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2020-7961 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 3 November 2021. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2020-7961?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 24 May 2022.

**Which products and versions are affected?** com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=4.35.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2020-7961?** Yes. com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel (Maven): upgrade to 4.35.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2020-7961 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2020-7961?** Check whether you run Liferay Portal or com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel (Maven) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel (Maven): upgrade to 4.35.3 or later

  ```sh
  # set com.liferay.portal:com.liferay.portal.kernel to 4.35.3 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```


## Affected products

- Liferay Liferay Portal prior to 7.2.1 CE GA2

## Identifiers

- CVE-2020-7961
- GHSA-w7pm-cc4v-f3g8

## Timeline

- 2020-03-20: disclosed: Approximate date based on CVE ID and vendor advisory timeline
- 2021-11-03: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
- 2021-11-03: advisory: NVD publication date
- 2021-01-19: exploited: Reported as leveraged in the 'FreakOut' botnet campaign

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