CVE-2010-2472 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE
Locale module and dependent contributed modules in Drupal 6.x before 6.16 and 5.x before version 5.22 do not sanitize the display of language codes, native and English language names properly which could allow an attacker to perform a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack. This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that an attacker must have a role with the 'administer languages' permission.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-2472 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the Drupal content management system affecting versions 6.x prior to 6.16 and 5.x prior to 5.22. This flaw resides in the locale module and its associated contributed modules, which are responsible for handling multilingual functionality within Drupal installations. The core issue stems from inadequate sanitization of language-related data when it is displayed on web pages, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the application's output. The vulnerability specifically impacts the rendering of language codes, native language names, and English language names, all of which are processed without proper input validation or output encoding.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess the specific administrative permission known as 'administer languages' within the Drupal system. This permission level represents a significant mitigation factor, as it typically restricts access to trusted users with elevated privileges within the content management environment. However, the existence of this vulnerability demonstrates that even within controlled administrative contexts, proper input sanitization practices must be maintained to prevent potential exploitation. The flaw aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and represents a classic example of insufficient output escaping where user-controllable data enters the application's response without appropriate encoding. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a risk scenario where an attacker with administrative access could manipulate language settings to inject malicious scripts that would execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS attacks, as it could potentially enable more sophisticated exploitation techniques such as session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The fact that the vulnerability is present in core locale functionality means that any Drupal installation utilizing multilingual features would be at risk, regardless of other modules installed. The attack surface becomes particularly concerning when considering that language management is a common administrative task, and the privilege requirement does not guarantee that the administrative account remains secure from compromise. Organizations implementing Drupal solutions must consider the broader security implications of this vulnerability, particularly in environments where administrative accounts may be targeted through social engineering or credential theft attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper security practices in internationalization modules, as the locale module's failure to sanitize language data represents a gap in the application's defense-in-depth strategy. Mitigation efforts should focus on immediate patching to versions 6.16 and 5.22 or later, along with implementing proper access controls and monitoring for unauthorized administrative activities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in modules that handle user-provided data in contexts where it will be displayed to other users. This issue also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers the use of scripting languages for execution, as the XSS vulnerability could enable attackers to execute malicious scripts through compromised language settings.