CVE-2009-1823 in Print
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Print (aka Printer, e-mail and PDF versions) module 5.x before 5.x-4.7 and 6.x before 6.x-1.7, a module for Drupal, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML by modifying a document head, before the Content-Type META element, to contain crafted UTF-8 byte sequences that are treated as UTF-7 by Internet Explorer 6 and 7, a related issue to CVE-2009-1575.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/10/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-1823 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Print module of Drupal content management systems. This vulnerability specifically affects Drupal 5.x versions prior to 5.x-4.7 and Drupal 6.x versions prior to 6.x-1.7, making it a widespread issue across multiple Drupal versions that were commonly deployed in enterprise and organizational environments. The flaw resides in how the module handles document headers and content type metadata, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within victim browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages a sophisticated encoding manipulation technique that exploits differences in how web browsers interpret character encodings. Attackers can modify document headers before the Content-Type META element to include crafted UTF-8 byte sequences that Internet Explorer 6 and 7 incorrectly interpret as UTF-7 encoding. This misinterpretation creates a window of opportunity where malicious scripts can be injected and executed in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability specifically targets the browser's handling of character encoding standards, where IE6 and IE7's aggressive UTF-7 interpretation creates a security boundary that can be exploited by carefully crafted input sequences.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it allows attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to full compromise of user sessions and access to sensitive information. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 indicates it is a classic cross-site scripting weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious content into web pages viewed by other users. This type of vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which describes social engineering through malicious content injection, and T1059.007 which covers script-based execution through web browsers.
The vulnerability's relationship to CVE-2009-1575 demonstrates a pattern of encoding-related security flaws that were prevalent during this era of web browser development, where differences in character encoding interpretation created persistent security gaps. The specific nature of this vulnerability requires that the malicious input be carefully crafted to exploit the exact behavior of IE6 and IE7 browsers, making it particularly dangerous in environments where these older browsers were still in use. Organizations running affected Drupal versions faced significant risk as the vulnerability could be exploited without requiring any special privileges or authentication, making it a particularly attractive target for automated attacks and widespread exploitation campaigns. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to patched versions of the Drupal Print module, implementing proper input validation and sanitization, and ensuring that all affected systems are updated to prevent exploitation of this encoding-based cross-site scripting vulnerability.