CVE-2008-0576 in Project Issue Tracking module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Project Issue Tracking module 5.x-2.x-dev before 20080130 in the 5.x-2.x series, 5.x-1.2 and earlier in the 5.x-1.x series, 4.7.x-2.6 and earlier in the 4.7.x-2.x series, and 4.7.x-1.6 and earlier in the 4.7.x-1.x series for Drupal allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors that write to summary table pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-0576 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Drupal's Project Issue Tracking module across multiple version series including 5.x-2.x, 5.x-1.x, 4.7.x-2.x, and 4.7.x-1.x. This vulnerability specifically affects the summary table pages of the issue tracking functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it can impact users who view these pages. The flaw exists in the handling of user input within the module's rendering logic, creating an environment where malicious actors can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input before rendering it in web pages, which directly enables XSS attacks. The issue affects authenticated users who can submit data through the module's interface, making it a significant concern for organizations that rely on Drupal for project management and issue tracking.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Project Issue Tracking module's codebase. When users submit data through the module's interface, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before displaying it on summary table pages. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected pages. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple entry points within the module could be exploited, making the vulnerability particularly challenging to fully assess and patch. The vulnerability affects multiple Drupal version series, indicating a widespread issue that was not properly addressed in the module's development lifecycle, and reflects a common pattern in web application security where input sanitization is inadequately implemented across various code paths.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or theft, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface websites, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks through the exploitation of the XSS vector. Users who access summary table pages containing malicious content could have their browser sessions compromised, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive project information or system resources. The authentication requirement for exploitation means that attackers must first gain legitimate user credentials, but once obtained, they can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges or access restricted information within the project tracking system. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper security testing and input validation in content management systems, as the flaw exists in a core module that many organizations depend upon for project collaboration and issue tracking.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the Project Issue Tracking module, applying the relevant security patches released by Drupal, and implementing additional security measures such as content security policies to limit the impact of potential XSS attacks. The vulnerability highlights the need for comprehensive security testing across all modules in CMS platforms, particularly those handling user-generated content. Security teams should also consider implementing input validation at multiple layers, including application-level sanitization and output encoding, to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other parts of the system. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other modules or custom code implementations that may be vulnerable to cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following secure coding practices to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities that could compromise entire web applications.