CVE-2007-1360 in Nodefamily
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Nodefamily module for Drupal 5.x before 5.x-1.0 allows remote authenticated users to access and modify other users profiles via unspecified URL parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-1360 resides within the Nodefamily module for Drupal 5.x versions prior to 5.x-1.0, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the integrity of user profile management within the content management system. This issue specifically affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern user interactions with profile data, creating a pathway for malicious actors to bypass normal security boundaries. The vulnerability manifests through unspecified URL parameters that are processed by the Nodefamily module, allowing authenticated users to manipulate session data or request parameters to gain unauthorized access to other users' profiles. Such a flaw directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement that are essential for maintaining user privacy and data integrity in web applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation and sanitization of input parameters within the Nodefamily module's handling of user profile requests. When authenticated users submit requests through URL parameters, the module fails to adequately verify the legitimacy of the requested user profile access, potentially allowing privilege escalation through parameter manipulation. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which encompasses improper authorization issues in software systems, where the system fails to properly enforce access controls for resources. The flaw represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and inadequate access control checks that enable authenticated users to perform actions beyond their intended permissions, creating a pathway for data exposure and potential profile modification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access, as it enables authenticated attackers to potentially modify other users' profiles, leading to potential identity impersonation, data corruption, or unauthorized privilege changes. This capability significantly undermines the trust model within Drupal installations, as users cannot rely on the system to maintain proper separation between their own profile data and that of other users. The vulnerability affects all authenticated users within the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to profile management functions. Attackers could leverage this flaw to gain insights into other user accounts, potentially leading to further exploitation through credential compromise or social engineering attacks. The implications align with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through unauthorized access to user resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-1360 require immediate patching of the Nodefamily module to version 5.x-1.0 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to properly validate user profile access requests. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that all modules within their Drupal installations properly enforce authorization checks for profile data access. Network administrators should monitor for suspicious access patterns and parameter manipulation attempts that could indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in other contributed modules that may have analogous access control flaws. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and parameter sanitization across all user profile handling functions will provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities. The fix addresses the root cause by ensuring that all profile access requests undergo proper authorization checks before any data is returned or modified, thereby enforcing the principle of least privilege and preventing unauthorized access to user resources.