CVE-2008-3500 in Suggested Terms module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Suggested Terms module 5.x before 5.x-1.2 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted Taxonomy terms.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3500 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Suggested Terms module for Drupal version 5.x prior to 5.x-1.2. This vulnerability resides in the module's handling of taxonomy terms, which are fundamental data structures used to organize and categorize content within Drupal websites. The Suggested Terms module, designed to provide automatic term suggestions during content creation, became a vector for malicious code injection when processing user-supplied taxonomy data. The flaw specifically affects authenticated users who possess the necessary permissions to create or modify taxonomy terms, making it particularly concerning for sites with multiple contributors or editorial workflows. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the module's term processing logic, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts. The flaw occurs during the rendering of taxonomy terms within the module's user interface, where user-provided term names and descriptions are directly incorporated into HTML output without adequate sanitization. Attackers can exploit this by creating or modifying taxonomy terms that contain malicious script code within their labels or descriptions. When other users view these terms in the suggested terms interface or related pages, the embedded scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers need only have basic user privileges within the Drupal site, making the vulnerability accessible to a broader range of threat actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that leverage the privileges of authenticated users. A successful exploitation could allow attackers to access administrative functions, modify content, steal user sessions, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where editors, content creators, or even regular users might have taxonomy term creation privileges. The Suggested Terms module's integration with Drupal's core taxonomy system means that the malicious code could propagate through various parts of the website where taxonomy terms are displayed, potentially affecting multiple pages and user interactions. This makes the attack surface larger than typical XSS vulnerabilities and increases the potential for widespread impact across the affected Drupal installation.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Drupal 5.x-1.2 or later versions where this vulnerability has been patched. Organizations should also consider implementing additional defensive measures such as input validation at the application level, output encoding for all user-supplied content, and regular security audits of contributed modules. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of module security review and proper input sanitization practices, particularly for modules that handle user-generated content in web applications. Given the nature of the flaw, network-based detection systems should monitor for suspicious taxonomy term creation activities, and organizations should ensure that access controls are properly configured to limit taxonomy term creation to trusted users only. The incident underscores the necessity of maintaining current security patches and the risks associated with outdated contributed modules in content management systems.