CVE-2009-4517 in FAQ Ask
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the FAQ Ask module 5.x and 6.x before 6.x-2.0, a module for Drupal, allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that access unpublished content.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2017
The CVE-2009-4517 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the FAQ Ask module for Drupal platforms version 5.x and 6.x prior to 6.x-2.0. This vulnerability resides in the module's handling of user authentication tokens and request validation mechanisms, creating a significant security risk for Drupal installations. The flaw specifically affects the module's ability to properly verify the authenticity of requests originating from authenticated users, making it susceptible to exploitation by remote attackers who can manipulate the authentication context of legitimate users.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the module's failure to properly validate request origins and authentication tokens when processing requests related to unpublished content access. Attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated users, leveraging the module's insufficient validation logic to execute unauthorized operations. The vulnerability particularly impacts the module's handling of content management functions, where the system fails to verify that requests are genuinely initiated by the authenticated user rather than being submitted through malicious web pages or crafted payloads. This weakness operates under the broader category of CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to unpublished content that should remain restricted to authorized users. This represents a significant breach in content management security, potentially exposing sensitive information or allowing unauthorized modifications to content that should only be accessible to privileged users. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers do not require local system access or physical presence to capitalize on the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in publicly accessible web environments. The attack vector typically involves the creation of malicious web pages that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable Drupal installation, effectively hijacking the authenticated session of unsuspecting users.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of mitigation for this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to version 6.x-2.0 or later where the CSRF protection has been properly implemented. The module's authentication token validation should be enhanced to include proper origin verification and request integrity checks, aligning with established security practices from the OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for web application security. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as Content Security Policy headers, proper session management, and regular security audits of third-party modules. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1548.003, which covers privilege escalation through forged requests, underscores the need for comprehensive security monitoring and response procedures to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and adherence to security best practices for Drupal module management are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the web application stack.