CVE-2009-4513 in Workflow
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Workflow module 5.x before 5.x-2.4 and 6.x before 6.x-1.2, a module for Drupal, allow remote authenticated users, with "administer workflow" privileges, to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the name of a (1) workflow or (2) workflow state.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2019
The CVE-2009-4513 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Drupal Workflow module, specifically affecting versions 5.x prior to 5.x-2.4 and 6.x prior to 6.x-1.2. This vulnerability exposes Drupal installations to significant security risks by allowing authenticated attackers with administrative workflow privileges to inject malicious code through the naming parameters of workflow and workflow state entities. The flaw fundamentally undermines the integrity of the content management system's administrative interface, creating potential vectors for unauthorized access and data manipulation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages existing administrative privileges, meaning that an attacker who has already gained access to an administrative account can exploit this weakness to escalate their capabilities within the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the Workflow module's handling of user-provided data. When administrators create or modify workflows and workflow states, the module fails to properly sanitize the name parameters before rendering them in web pages. This omission creates a classic XSS attack vector where malicious scripts can be embedded in the workflow names and subsequently executed in the browsers of other users who view these administrative interfaces. The vulnerability affects both workflow and workflow state naming functionality, providing attackers with multiple potential entry points. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Cross-site Scripting vulnerability, specifically manifesting as a stored XSS variant since the malicious code is persisted in the database and executed on subsequent page loads.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-4513 extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially compromise entire Drupal installations through session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. An attacker could craft malicious workflow names that, when viewed by other administrators, would execute scripts designed to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even establish backdoors within the system. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only administrative access to the workflow module, which is often a privileged role that may be shared among trusted personnel. This makes the attack surface particularly wide, as administrators typically have elevated permissions and are less likely to be suspicious of content they encounter in their administrative interfaces. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically through the execution of malicious scripts in web browsers. Additionally, this vulnerability could facilitate privilege escalation attacks by allowing attackers to manipulate workflow states to gain unauthorized access to restricted content or functionality.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-4513 require immediate patching of the affected Workflow module versions to the secure releases 5.x-2.4 and 6.x-1.2, which contain the necessary input sanitization fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive security monitoring to detect any suspicious workflow modifications, particularly those involving unusual character sequences or script tags in naming parameters. Input validation should be strengthened at multiple levels, including server-side sanitization of all user-provided data in administrative interfaces. Network segmentation and least privilege access controls should be enforced to limit who can access workflow administrative functions. Regular security audits of Drupal modules and core components should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining current security practices for open source content management systems, as the Drupal security team regularly releases updates to address identified weaknesses. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts, and establish security awareness training for administrators to recognize potentially malicious input patterns in system configuration interfaces.