CVE-2010-2724 in Hierarchical Select
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Hierarchical Select module 5.x before 5.x-3.2 and 6.x before 6.x-3.2 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users, with administer taxonomy permissions, to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors in the hierarchical_select form.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2018
The CVE-2010-2724 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Hierarchical Select module for Drupal platforms, affecting versions 5.x prior to 5.x-3.2 and 6.x prior to 6.x-3.2. This vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess the administer taxonomy permissions, creating a significant security risk for Drupal-based web applications. The flaw exists within the hierarchical_select form processing mechanism, where input validation and sanitization measures prove inadequate. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79, which identifies cross-site scripting as a weakness allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications viewed by other users. This particular implementation weakness demonstrates a failure in proper input sanitization and output encoding practices that are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors within the hierarchical_select form, which serves as a user interface element for managing hierarchical taxonomy terms in Drupal. Attackers with administrator-level taxonomy permissions can leverage this flaw to inject arbitrary web script or HTML content directly into the form processing pipeline. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to execute malicious code in the context of the victim's browser session. This capability allows for session hijacking, credential theft, and potentially full system compromise when combined with other attack vectors. The vulnerability's presence in the taxonomy administration interface means that even a single compromised administrator account could provide attackers with extensive control over the site's content structure and user management capabilities.
Operational impact of CVE-2010-2724 is substantial, particularly for organizations relying on Drupal's taxonomy management features. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by attackers with relatively low privileges within the application's permission structure. Attackers can manipulate the hierarchical taxonomy system to inject malicious payloads that will execute whenever other users view or interact with the affected taxonomy terms. This creates a sophisticated attack surface where the malicious code can persist indefinitely until the vulnerability is patched. The attack vector operates through the legitimate administrative interface, making detection more difficult as the malicious activity appears to originate from authorized user accounts. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts as a means of gaining initial access, and T1548.002 which covers abuse of cloud platforms through valid accounts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2724 require immediate action to upgrade the Hierarchical Select module to versions 5.x-3.2 or 6.x-3.2, which contain the necessary security patches. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures across all user input fields, particularly those within administrative interfaces. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting taxonomy administration permissions to only essential personnel, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual administrative activities and input patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other contributed modules. Additionally, organizations should implement proper output encoding techniques to ensure that any user-generated content is properly escaped before rendering in web pages. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and the critical need for thorough security reviews of contributed Drupal modules, as many vulnerabilities originate from third-party extensions rather than core platform components.