CVE-2009-3650 in Dex
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Dex 5.x-1.0 and earlier and 6.x-1.0-rc1 and earlier, 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 • 01/22/2019
The CVE-2009-3650 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Dex module for Drupal platforms, affecting versions 5.x-1.0 and earlier, as well as 6.x-1.0-rc1 and earlier releases. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The Dex module, designed to provide enhanced functionality for Drupal websites, contained insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that allowed malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The unspecified vectors in the original description indicate that the vulnerability could be exploited through multiple attack paths within the module's codebase, making it particularly dangerous as attackers could potentially leverage various entry points to deliver their payloads.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of a victim's browser session. This occurs when user-supplied input that is not properly sanitized or encoded is subsequently rendered in web pages without adequate protection measures. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to inject malicious content that gets executed whenever other users browse pages that contain the tainted data. This type of vulnerability can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, or redirection to malicious sites. The impact is particularly severe in web applications where user-generated content is displayed, as the Dex module's functionality likely involved processing and displaying user data in ways that created potential injection points.
From an operational perspective, the vulnerability poses significant risks to Drupal websites that utilize the Dex module, potentially affecting thousands of users depending on the scale of the affected installations. The attack surface is broad since the vulnerability affects multiple Drupal versions and release candidates, indicating a widespread exposure across the Drupal ecosystem at the time of discovery. Organizations running these vulnerable versions face potential data breaches, loss of user trust, and possible regulatory compliance violations depending on the nature of data processed by the affected websites. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly attractive to cybercriminals seeking automated exploitation methods.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching and upgrading to versions of the Dex module that have addressed the XSS flaws through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive content security policies and ensure that all user input is properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The remediation strategy should include thorough code review processes to identify similar vulnerabilities in other modules and custom code implementations. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and runtime protection measures can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of adhering to secure coding practices and following the principle of least privilege in web application development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through malicious content and T1059 for command and control through script injection. The incident underscores the necessity for continuous security monitoring and timely patch management processes to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities in widely-used web platforms.