CVE-2011-1664 in Translation Management
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Translation Management module 6.x before 6.x-1.21 for Drupal allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2018
The CVE-2011-1664 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Translation Management module for Drupal version 6.x prior to 6.x-1.21. This vulnerability exposes Drupal installations to unauthorized actions that can be executed on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The issue lies in the module's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the authentication context of legitimate users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or similar protective measures within the Translation Management module's request processing. When users navigate to malicious sites or receive crafted requests, attackers can manipulate the module's functionality to perform actions such as creating, modifying, or deleting translations without proper authorization. This flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its authenticated users, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through various attack vectors including phishing campaigns, malicious websites, or compromised third-party services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially compromise entire user sessions and administrative capabilities within the Drupal environment. Attackers could exploit this weakness to alter content translations, modify user permissions, or even gain elevated privileges within the translation management system. Given that translation modules often handle sensitive content and may be used by administrators, the potential for escalation is significant. The unspecified nature of victim authentication mechanisms in the vulnerability description suggests that the attack could target various user roles, potentially including administrative accounts with broader system access.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper session management and request validation mechanisms within web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and session hijacking, where adversaries leverage application-level flaws to extend their access beyond initial compromise points. The attack surface is particularly concerning in multi-user environments where translation management systems handle content that may require administrative approval or sensitive business information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-1664 primarily involve immediate patching of the Translation Management module to version 6.x-1.21 or later, which incorporates proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious cross-site requests, regular security auditing of installed modules, and comprehensive user education regarding the risks of visiting untrusted websites. Network segmentation and access controls can further reduce the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual translation-related activities that might indicate unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing robust security practices throughout the application lifecycle to prevent similar issues from arising in the future.