CVE-2005-0682 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in common.inc in Drupal before 4.5.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via certain inputs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0682 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Drupal content management system that existed in versions prior to 4.5.2. This vulnerability resides in the common.inc file, which serves as a fundamental component of Drupal's core functionality and handles various input processing operations. The flaw specifically affects how the system processes certain user inputs, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or sanitization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers submit malicious input through forms or parameters that are not properly filtered or escaped before being rendered in web pages. The common.inc file's insufficient input validation mechanisms allow attackers to inject script code that gets executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who view affected pages. This particular weakness enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at a core level within the application framework, making it difficult to patch without upgrading the entire system.
From an operational standpoint, this XSS vulnerability significantly impacts the security posture of Drupal installations, as it allows attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The attack surface is broad since the vulnerability affects the fundamental input processing mechanisms that are utilized throughout the CMS, meaning that any page or form that accepts user input could potentially be exploited. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include complete compromise of user sessions and potential privilege escalation if the affected Drupal installation has administrative users. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Drupal face significant risk of data breaches and reputational damage when this vulnerability is exploited in the wild.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrading of Drupal installations to version 4.5.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the input validation deficiencies in common.inc. System administrators should also implement additional defensive measures including input sanitization at multiple layers, regular security audits of web applications, and deployment of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential XSS vulnerabilities within their Drupal installations and ensure that all user inputs are properly escaped before being rendered in web pages. The remediation process should also include monitoring for exploitation attempts and implementing proper logging mechanisms to track suspicious activities related to input handling and user interactions within the CMS. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of keeping web application frameworks updated and maintaining robust input validation practices to prevent widespread exploitation across multiple user sessions and data points within the application ecosystem.