CVE-2009-2370 in Advanced Forum
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Advanced Forum 5.x before 5.x-1.1 and 6.x before 6.x-1.1, a module for Drupal, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2017
The CVE-2009-2370 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Advanced Forum module for Drupal platforms, specifically affecting versions 5.x prior to 5.x-1.1 and 6.x prior to 6.x-1.1. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that enables attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The Advanced Forum module serves as a discussion forum implementation for Drupal, making it a critical component in web applications that facilitate user-generated content and community interaction. The vulnerability's presence in this module poses significant risks to organizations relying on Drupal-based platforms for their online community management systems.
The technical nature of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Advanced Forum module's codebase. Attackers can exploit this weakness through unspecified vectors that likely involve user input fields or parameters within the forum's interface where content is rendered without proper sanitization. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view affected forum pages. This type of attack typically occurs when the application fails to properly escape or encode user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed with the privileges of the victim user.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that compromise user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability allows attackers to perform actions such as stealing cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive user data that could lead to account takeovers. The attack surface is particularly concerning for organizations using Drupal with the Advanced Forum module, as these platforms often contain sensitive user information, discussion threads, and community interactions that could be compromised. The vulnerability affects not just individual users but potentially entire communities of forum participants who may unknowingly execute malicious code when browsing affected pages.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched versions of the Advanced Forum module, specifically versions 5.x-1.1 and 6.x-1.1, which contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution sources and strengthen input validation mechanisms throughout the Drupal platform. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Spearphishing Attachments, as attackers may use this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through forum interactions. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious script patterns in forum content, and regular security audits of Drupal modules should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and input sanitization layers to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar XSS vulnerabilities in their web applications.