CVE-2011-1066 in Messaging
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Messaging module 6.x-2.x before 6.x-2.4 and 6.x-4.x before 6.x-4.0-beta8 for Drupal allows remote attackers with administer messaging permissions to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2019
The CVE-2011-1066 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Drupal's Messaging module, specifically affecting versions 6.x-2.x prior to 6.x-2.4 and 6.x-4.x prior to 6.x-4.0-beta8. This vulnerability exposes Drupal installations to potential exploitation by malicious actors who possess administer messaging permissions, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on the platform's messaging functionality. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the module's handling of user-provided data, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors within the Messaging module's data processing pipeline, where user input intended for messaging operations is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. This flaw falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant where malicious payloads can persist in the system and affect multiple users. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it requires only administer messaging permissions, which are often granted to trusted users or administrators within Drupal environments, making the attack surface more accessible than typical XSS vulnerabilities requiring higher privilege levels.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for Drupal-based web applications as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML content in the browsers of authenticated users. Successful exploitation could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, or the execution of malicious code that compromises the entire user session. The attack vector operates through the module's handling of messages that are displayed to users, where attackers can inject malicious code that executes when other users view these messages, potentially affecting hundreds or thousands of users depending on the size of the installation.
The security implications extend beyond immediate exploitation as this vulnerability represents a failure in Drupal's input validation and output encoding practices, highlighting broader security concerns within the platform's architecture. Organizations utilizing Drupal with the Messaging module must consider the potential for cascading effects where this vulnerability could be leveraged as a stepping stone for further attacks, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the risks associated with using development or beta versions of modules that may contain unaddressed security flaws.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-1066 involve immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to versions 6.x-2.4 or 6.x-4.0-beta8, which contain the necessary security fixes. Administrators should also implement additional protective measures including input validation at multiple levels, output encoding of all user-provided data, and regular security auditing of installed modules. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059 technique of Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically highlighting the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities in the future.