CVE-2007-0136 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Drupal before 4.6.11, and 4.7 before 4.7.5, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified parameters in the (1) filter and (2) system modules. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0136 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the Drupal content management system across multiple versions. This vulnerability resides within the filter and system modules of Drupal installations, specifically impacting versions prior to 4.6.11 and 4.7.5 respectively. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, creating a significant security risk for websites utilizing affected Drupal versions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection, as it can potentially enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The unspecified parameters within the filter and system modules create an attack surface that can be exploited through various input vectors, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it may be difficult to predict all potential attack paths.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. This classification indicates that the vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within Drupal's core modules. The filter module typically handles content filtering and sanitization, while the system module manages core system operations and configuration. When these modules fail to properly sanitize user input before rendering it in web pages, they create opportunities for attackers to inject malicious scripts. The vulnerability demonstrates poor security practices in input handling and output encoding, where user-supplied data flows directly into HTML output without proper sanitization mechanisms. This flaw essentially represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and proper data validation, allowing untrusted input to be treated as trusted content within the web application context.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-0136 extends far beyond simple data corruption or display issues. Successful exploitation can lead to complete session hijacking, where attackers gain unauthorized access to user accounts with full privileges. The vulnerability enables attackers to inject malicious scripts that can harvest sensitive information such as login credentials, personal data, or administrative access tokens. Additionally, the XSS payload could redirect users to phishing sites, effectively creating a man-in-the-middle attack vector. Website administrators may experience unauthorized modifications to content, potential data breaches, and loss of user trust. The widespread adoption of Drupal at the time meant that numerous websites, including those of government agencies, educational institutions, and commercial organizations, were potentially vulnerable to this attack. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or knowledge of internal network structures, making the vulnerability particularly attractive to malicious actors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-0136 must include immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to versions 4.6.11 and 4.7.5 respectively, which contain the necessary security fixes. System administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their applications, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The principle of least privilege should be enforced, limiting the permissions of web applications and ensuring that user input is treated as potentially malicious. Organizations should also deploy web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against XSS attacks. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar flaws in other applications and modules. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" and T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment", highlighting the attack vectors and potential exploitation methods that security teams should monitor for in their environments. Organizations should also implement proper monitoring and logging to detect anomalous user behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.