CVE-2012-1625 in fillpdf
Summary
by MITRE
Eval injection vulnerability in the fillpdf_form_export_decode function in fillpdf.admin.inc in the Fill PDF module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.16 and 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.2 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with administer PDFs privileges to execute arbitrary PHP code via unspecified vectors. NOTE: Some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2019
The CVE-2012-1625 vulnerability represents a critical server-side code execution flaw within the Fill PDF module for Drupal platforms. This vulnerability specifically targets the fillpdf_form_export_decode function located in the fillpdf.admin.inc file, affecting Drupal versions 6.x-1.x prior to 6.x-1.16 and 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.2. The flaw enables authenticated attackers who possess the "administer PDFs" permission to inject and execute arbitrary PHP code on the affected server, fundamentally compromising the system's security posture.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the PDF form export functionality. When the fillpdf_form_export_decode function processes user-supplied data, it fails to adequately sanitize or validate the input parameters before using them in PHP execution contexts. This creates an injection vector where maliciously crafted input can be interpreted as executable PHP code rather than mere data. The vulnerability operates under CWE-94, which categorizes it as an "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" flaw, specifically manifesting as a code execution vulnerability through insecure deserialization or improper handling of user input in administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations running affected Drupal installations. An attacker with the "administer PDFs" privilege can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary commands on the web server, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack surface expands significantly since the vulnerability requires only authentication with specific administrative permissions, which are often less tightly controlled than full administrative access. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators have varying levels of access, as a single compromised account with PDF administration privileges can lead to full system takeover. The vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059.001 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PHP" and T1078 for "Valid Accounts" as the initial access vector.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-1625 focus primarily on immediate patching and access control measures. Organizations must upgrade to the patched versions of the Fill PDF module, specifically 6.x-1.16 or 7.x-1.2, which address the input validation issues in the affected function. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls is crucial, ensuring that only essential personnel possess the "administer PDFs" permission. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual command execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security audits of Drupal modules and their configurations should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input sanitization in administrative interfaces and demonstrates how seemingly benign functionality can become a critical attack surface when proper security controls are not implemented.