CVE-2008-1794 in Webform Module
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Webform Drupal module 5.x before 5.x-1.10, 5.x-2.x before 5.x-2.0-beta3, and 6.x before 6.x-1.0-beta3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2017
The CVE-2008-1794 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the Webform module in Drupal content management systems. This vulnerability specifically impacts Drupal versions 5.x and 6.x, with the affected ranges including versions before 5.x-1.10, 5.x-2.x before 5.x-2.0-beta3, and 6.x before 6.x-1.0-beta3. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The Webform module, which is widely used for creating online forms and collecting user data, becomes a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit this vulnerability due to its common deployment across numerous websites and web applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the Webform module's handling of user-supplied data. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious scripts or HTML code through unspecified vectors within the form processing functionality. These unspecified vectors likely encompass various data entry points including form fields, URL parameters, or other user-controllable inputs that are not properly escaped or filtered before being rendered back to users. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects multiple version branches of the Webform module, indicating a widespread and deeply rooted flaw in the module's security implementation. The lack of specific vector identification in the original CVE description suggests that the vulnerability may manifest through multiple attack paths, making it particularly challenging to defend against comprehensively.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of affected websites. This capability allows threat actors to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web pages, redirection to malicious sites, and data exfiltration from users interacting with compromised forms. The vulnerability's remote exploitation nature means that attackers can leverage it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system. Organizations running affected Drupal installations become vulnerable to persistent attacks that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to full system compromise if attackers can escalate privileges or gain administrative access through additional vulnerabilities. The widespread adoption of the Webform module in enterprise and government environments makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could affect numerous high-value targets simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1794 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to the latest stable versions of the Webform module. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent script injection attacks, utilizing proper HTML escaping techniques for all user-controllable data. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though they should not replace proper application-level security controls. Security monitoring and incident response procedures should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, including monitoring for unusual patterns in form submissions or unexpected script execution. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK matrix technique T1059.005 for Command and Scripting Interpreter highlights the importance of implementing strict access controls and regular security audits to prevent unauthorized modifications to web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to further limit the execution of malicious scripts even if exploitation occurs, and establish robust security awareness training for administrators to recognize and respond to potential exploitation attempts.