CVE-2008-1977 in Internationalization
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Internationalization (i18n) Drupal module 5.x before 5.x-2.3 and 5.x-1.1, and 6.x before 6.x-1.0 beta 1, allows remote attackers to change node translation relationships via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2018
The CVE-2008-1977 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Internationalization (i18n) module for Drupal content management systems. This vulnerability specifically affects Drupal 5.x versions prior to 5.x-2.3 and 5.x-1.1, as well as Drupal 6.x versions before 6.x-1.0 beta 1, creating a significant security risk for websites relying on multilingual content management capabilities. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that fail to properly authenticate and authorize requests modifying node translation relationships, which are fundamental components of Drupal's internationalization framework. The i18n module enables websites to manage content in multiple languages and maintain translation relationships between nodes, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for multilingual sites that depend on proper translation management.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs when remote attackers can manipulate node translation relationships through unspecified attack vectors that bypass the normal authentication and authorization checks. This flaw allows malicious actors to forge requests that appear legitimate to the Drupal application but are actually initiated by unauthorized parties. The vulnerability specifically targets the translation relationship functionality within the i18n module, where attackers can modify how content nodes relate to their translated versions without proper user consent or authentication. The lack of proper CSRF token validation or request origin verification means that an attacker can craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated user, alter the translation associations between content nodes. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can fundamentally compromise the integrity and structure of multilingual content management systems. When exploited, attackers can disrupt translation relationships, potentially causing content to appear in incorrect languages or breaking the logical connections between translated versions of the same content. This disruption can lead to severe user experience degradation, where visitors encounter content in the wrong language or find that translated content is no longer properly linked to its original version. The vulnerability also poses risks to content consistency and search engine optimization, as broken translation relationships can result in improper indexing and display of multilingual content. Organizations using vulnerable Drupal installations may face reputational damage, content integrity issues, and potential compliance violations in regulated environments where accurate multilingual content delivery is required. The attack surface is particularly concerning because CSRF vulnerabilities can be exploited through social engineering techniques, making them difficult to detect and prevent without proper security controls.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to the latest versions that contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. System administrators should ensure that all instances of the i18n module are updated to versions that include proper CSRF token validation and request authentication. Additionally, implementing comprehensive security monitoring and logging for translation-related operations can help detect unauthorized modifications to node relationships. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious CSRF patterns, though the primary defense remains the official patches provided by the Drupal security team. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated modules to ensure that legitimate translation functionality remains intact while the CSRF vulnerability is properly addressed. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for content management systems, particularly those handling sensitive multilingual content that is often critical to business operations and user experience.