CVE-2012-1060 in revisioning
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in revisioning_theme.inc in the Taxonomy module in the Revisioning module 6.x-3.13 and other versions before 6.x-3.14 for Drupal allow remote authenticated users with certain privileges to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) tags or (2) term parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2021
The CVE-2012-1060 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Drupal content management system that specifically targets the Taxonomy module's Revisioning component. This vulnerability affects Drupal 6.x versions prior to 6.x-3.14 and exposes the system to remote authenticated attackers who possess specific privileges within the platform. The flaw manifests through two primary attack vectors involving the tags and term parameters within the revisioning_theme.inc file, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the Revisioning module's theme handling functionality. When authenticated users with appropriate permissions interact with taxonomy terms or tags through the affected module, the system fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages. This insufficient sanitization process creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the browsers of other users who view the affected content. The vulnerability specifically resides in the revisioning_theme.inc file which handles the presentation layer for taxonomy term revisions, making it a direct target for XSS exploitation.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-1060 extends beyond simple script injection as it enables attackers to potentially escalate privileges, steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions within the application, or redirect users to malicious websites. Since the vulnerability requires only authenticated access with specific privileges, it represents a significant risk in environments where multiple users have varying levels of access to taxonomy management functions. Attackers could leverage this flaw to compromise user sessions, gain access to restricted content, or manipulate taxonomy data to create persistent backdoors within the system. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and follows ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for the initial access phase through malicious web content.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the upgrade to Drupal 6.x-3.14 or later versions where the patch has been implemented. Security teams should also implement additional defensive measures including input validation at multiple layers, output encoding for all user-supplied content, and regular security audits of contributed modules. The patch addresses the core sanitization issue by ensuring proper escaping of user input before rendering in the theme layer, preventing the execution of malicious scripts. Additionally, administrators should review user permissions to minimize the attack surface and implement web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and conducting regular security assessments of all components within CMS environments.