CVE-2011-0899 in AES encryption module
Summary
by MITRE
The AES encryption module 7.x-1.4 for Drupal leaves certain debugging code enabled in release, which records the plaintext password of the last logged-in user and allows remote attackers to gain privileges as that user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0899 affects the AES encryption module version 7.x-1.4 for Drupal content management systems, representing a critical security flaw that exposes sensitive authentication data through improper debugging implementation. This issue stems from the module's failure to properly disable debugging functionality in production environments, creating a persistent security risk that directly impacts user authentication integrity and system access controls.
The technical flaw manifests through the module's inclusion of debugging code that intentionally logs plaintext passwords of users who have recently authenticated with the system. This debugging mechanism operates by storing the cleartext password of the last logged-in user in memory or temporary storage locations, making this sensitive information accessible to unauthorized parties who can exploit the vulnerability remotely. The flaw represents a direct violation of cryptographic security principles and proper access control implementation, as it fundamentally undermines the security model designed to protect user credentials.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to escalate privileges and assume the identity of any user who has recently logged into the affected Drupal system. The attacker can leverage this access to perform actions such as modifying content, accessing restricted areas, changing user permissions, or conducting further reconnaissance within the compromised environment. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local system credentials to capitalize on this flaw, significantly expanding the attack surface and potential damage scope.
The security implications extend beyond simple credential theft, as this vulnerability can facilitate broader system compromise through privilege escalation attacks. The presence of plaintext passwords in debug logs creates opportunities for attackers to conduct credential stuffing attacks against other systems where users may have reused passwords, potentially leading to cascading security breaches across multiple platforms. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-546, which addresses the presence of debug code in production systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through exploitation of insecure configurations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately disable the problematic AES encryption module and implement comprehensive monitoring to detect any unauthorized access attempts. The recommended mitigations include upgrading to patched versions of the module, ensuring proper configuration management to prevent debug code execution in production environments, and implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication and regular security audits. Security teams should also conduct thorough assessments of other third-party modules to identify similar debugging implementations that may pose comparable risks to system integrity and user authentication security.