CVE-2012-1590 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE
The forum list in Drupal 7.x before 7.14 does not properly check user permissions for unpublished forum posts, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information such as the post title via the forum overview page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1590 affects Drupal 7.x versions prior to 7.14 and represents a significant information disclosure flaw within the forum module's permission handling mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically targets the forum list functionality where the system fails to properly validate user permissions when displaying forum posts on the overview page. The flaw exists in the core permission checking logic that governs access to forum content, creating a scenario where authenticated users can bypass normal access controls to view unpublished forum posts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control enforcement within Drupal's forum module. When users navigate to the forum overview page, the system should verify that each user has appropriate permissions to view specific forum posts based on their published status and assigned roles. However, the flawed implementation fails to perform this critical permission check, allowing authenticated users to access content they should not be authorized to view. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization validation where the system assumes all authenticated users should have access to forum content regardless of its publication status.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to obtain sensitive information that may include confidential discussion topics, strategic planning details, or other proprietary content that should remain unpublished. The exposure occurs through the forum overview page which typically aggregates and displays multiple forum posts, making it an attractive target for information gathering activities. Remote authenticated users can exploit this vulnerability without requiring elevated privileges or special technical skills, as they only need valid login credentials to access the system. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning in environments where Drupal forums serve as repositories for sensitive organizational information or where unpublished content contains intellectual property or strategic details.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1087.001 for account discovery and T1566.001 for spearphishing with attachments, as it enables unauthorized access to information that could be leveraged for further attacks. Organizations using affected Drupal versions should immediately implement the patch released in Drupal 7.14 which corrects the permission checking logic to properly validate user access rights before displaying forum posts. Additional mitigations include reviewing and tightening user role permissions, implementing network segmentation to limit access to forum functionality, and monitoring access logs for unusual activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper access control implementation in web applications and the potential consequences of inadequate permission validation mechanisms.