CVE-2009-4207 in Webform
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Webform module 5.x before 5.x-2.7 and 6.x before 6.x-2.7, a module for Drupal, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a submission.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2019
The CVE-2009-4207 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Webform module for Drupal platforms, affecting versions 5.x prior to 5.x-2.7 and 6.x prior to 6.x-2.7. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting attacks where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web page content without adequate sanitization. The Webform module serves as a popular tool for creating online forms within Drupal environments, making it a widely used component across numerous websites and web applications.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Webform module's handling of user submissions. When users submit data through web forms created with this module, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before rendering it in subsequent web pages or email notifications. This allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML code, JavaScript, or other malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the submitted form data or related content. The vulnerability specifically affects the processing of form submissions where user input is directly displayed without proper security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious websites. When exploited, the XSS vulnerability allows attackers to execute scripts in the victim's browser, potentially compromising user sessions and accessing sensitive information. The widespread adoption of the Webform module means that numerous Drupal installations across different organizations and industries could be vulnerable to this attack vector, making it particularly dangerous for large-scale deployments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-4207 primarily involve immediate patching of the affected Webform module to versions 5.x-2.7 or 6.x-2.7 and later, which include proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as content security policies, regular security audits of Drupal installations, and input validation at multiple layers within their web applications. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage the XSS to execute malicious scripts within the victim's browser context. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious script injection patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts.