CVE-2012-1640 in Managesite
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Managesite module 6.x-1.x before 6.1-1.1 for Drupal allow remote authenticated users with "administer managesite" permissions to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the title parameter when (1) adding or (2) updating a category.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1640 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Managesite module for Drupal version 6.x-1.x prior to 6.1-1.1. This vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess the administrative "administer managesite" permission level, creating a significant security risk for Drupal-based web applications that utilize this module. The flaw manifests when these privileged users interact with the module's category management functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages legitimate administrative access to execute malicious code.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation and sanitization within the Managesite module's handling of the title parameter during two distinct operations: category creation and category modification. When an authenticated administrator performs either of these actions, the module fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input, allowing malicious scripts to be injected directly into the application's response. This represents a classic XSS vulnerability pattern where user-controllable data flows directly into the application's output without proper encoding or validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-1640 extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially compromise the entire Drupal installation through the administrative account. Since the vulnerability requires only the "administer managesite" permission, which is typically granted to trusted administrators, the attack vector becomes particularly insidious as it can be executed by someone already within the system's trusted perimeter. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of other users' browsers, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or even performing administrative actions on behalf of the compromised user.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The vulnerability also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for social engineering through malicious content and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability affects the module's administrative interface, potentially allowing for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the application's security boundaries.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability centers on applying the official security patch released by the Drupal community, which updates the Managesite module to version 6.1-1.1 or later. Organizations should immediately implement this update across all affected Drupal installations to prevent exploitation. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application codebase serves as a defensive measure against similar vulnerabilities. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious administrative activities, particularly around category management operations, as potential indicators of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing robust security practices in content management systems to prevent authenticated attackers from leveraging administrative privileges for malicious purposes.