CVE-2007-2160 in Database Administration Module
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the Database Administration (dba) module 4.6.x-*, and before 4.7.x-1.2 in the 4.7.x-1.* series, for Drupal allow remote attackers to perform unauthorized actions as an arbitrary user, a related issue to CVE-2006-5476.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2160 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Database Administration module of Drupal content management system. This weakness affects versions 4.6.x series and earlier releases in the 4.7.x-1.* branch, creating a significant security risk that enables malicious actors to execute unauthorized administrative actions on behalf of other users. The vulnerability operates through the exploitation of CSRF mechanisms that should have prevented unauthorized requests from being processed by the system's administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the database administration interface. When legitimate administrative users access the system, their sessions contain sufficient privileges to perform critical operations such as database schema modifications, user management, and configuration changes. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or emails containing embedded requests that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit administrative commands without the user's knowledge or consent. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the authentication mechanisms that should protect administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to encompass complete system compromise potential. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability can perform actions such as creating new administrative accounts, modifying existing user permissions, altering database structures, and potentially gaining persistent access to the system. The attack vector typically involves social engineering tactics where administrators are tricked into visiting malicious websites or opening compromised email attachments. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the administrative level, meaning successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover, data breaches, and unauthorized modification of critical system components.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The issue also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, as attackers leverage legitimate user sessions to execute malicious actions. Organizations running affected Drupal versions face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data compromise. The related vulnerability CVE-2006-5476 indicates this represents a recurring pattern of CSRF implementation flaws within the Drupal platform's administrative components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to versions that properly implement CSRF protection mechanisms. System administrators should ensure all instances of the Database Administration module are updated to patched versions that include proper anti-CSRF token validation. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls, configuring proper session management controls, and establishing robust monitoring for unusual administrative activities. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of all Drupal installations to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities within the broader application ecosystem. The recommended approach involves deploying multi-layered defenses that address both the immediate CSRF vulnerability and broader security posture improvements to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components of the system.