CVE-2008-0274 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Drupal 4.7.x and 5.x, when certain .htaccess protections are disabled, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted links involving theme .tpl.php files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0274 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Drupal content management systems version 4.7.x and 5.x. This vulnerability specifically manifests when certain .htaccess protection mechanisms are disabled, creating an exploitable condition that enables remote attackers to inject malicious web script or HTML content. The flaw occurs through crafted links that target theme .tpl.php files, which are template files used by Drupal to render web pages. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the Drupal core, particularly in how it processes user-supplied data that gets rendered in theme templates. When these protections are disabled, the system fails to properly escape or filter user input before it is processed and displayed in the rendered web interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of URL parameters or other user-controllable inputs that are then passed to the theme template processing system. Attackers can craft malicious URLs that contain script tags or other HTML content, which gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected pages. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant where the malicious content can persist and affect multiple users. The vulnerability's impact is amplified when .htaccess protections are disabled because these files typically provide crucial security measures including access control, URL rewriting, and input filtering that help prevent unauthorized access to sensitive system components.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-0274 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. The vulnerability can be exploited across multiple Drupal installations simultaneously, making it particularly dangerous for organizations running multiple Drupal sites or those with shared hosting environments. When combined with other vulnerabilities or attack vectors, this XSS flaw can serve as a launching point for more sophisticated attacks within a network infrastructure. The attack surface is particularly broad since theme files are commonly used throughout Drupal installations and often contain dynamic content that reflects user input without proper sanitization.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including enabling proper .htaccess protections, applying available security patches from Drupal core, and implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all user-controllable data paths. The recommended defensive measures align with ATT&CK framework techniques related to input validation and output encoding, specifically targeting T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. Additional protective measures include deploying web application firewalls, implementing content security policies, and conducting regular security audits of theme templates and user input handling. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper security configuration management and the need for organizations to maintain updated security practices across all system components, particularly emphasizing the critical role of .htaccess file configurations in providing essential security controls for web applications.