CVE-2010-2352 in CCK
Summary
by MITRE
The Node Reference module in Content Construction Kit (CCK) module 5.x before 5.x-1.11 and 6.x before 6.x-2.7 for Drupal does not perform access checks before displaying referenced nodes, which allows remote attackers to read controlled nodes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2352 affects the Node Reference module within Drupal's Content Construction Kit (CCK) framework, specifically impacting versions 5.x prior to 5.x-1.11 and 6.x prior to 6.x-2.7. This issue represents a critical access control flaw that fundamentally undermines the security model of Drupal-based content management systems. The vulnerability stems from the module's failure to properly validate user permissions before rendering referenced content, creating a direct path for unauthorized information disclosure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the Node Reference module's handling of node access controls. When a user requests to view a node that references other nodes through the CCK module, the system should verify that the requesting user possesses adequate permissions to access the referenced content. However, the flawed implementation bypasses these essential access checks, allowing any authenticated user to potentially view nodes that should be restricted based on role-based permissions or other access control mechanisms. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization validation, which aligns with CWE-284 access control weaknesses and can be classified under the broader category of privilege escalation vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to potentially access sensitive content that should only be available to specific user roles or administrators. An attacker could leverage this flaw to gather information about unpublished content, restricted pages, or confidential data that is referenced within other nodes. This could lead to data breaches, competitive intelligence theft, or the exposure of sensitive business information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where Drupal serves as a content management platform for organizations with strict information access policies, as it essentially provides a backdoor for unauthorized information retrieval.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK tactics including privilege escalation and credential access, as attackers can bypass the intended access control mechanisms without requiring additional credentials. The vulnerability also represents a weakness in the principle of least privilege, where the system fails to enforce proper access boundaries between different user roles. Organizations using affected Drupal versions should immediately implement mitigations including applying the available security patches, reviewing access control configurations, and potentially implementing additional monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in content management systems and highlights the need for regular security assessments of third-party modules.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate patching of the affected CCK module versions to the patched releases 5.x-1.11 and 6.x-2.7, which contain the necessary access control checks. System administrators should also conduct thorough security reviews of their Drupal installations to ensure no other modules exhibit similar access control flaws. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the potential consequences of delayed patch management in content management systems. Organizations should implement automated patch management processes and regular security audits to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in their environments.