CVE-2012-1644 in Og Vocab
Summary
by MITRE
The Organic Groups (OG) Vocabulary module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.2 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with certain administrator permissions to modify the vocabularies of other groups via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1644 affects the Organic Groups (OG) Vocabulary module version 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.2 in Drupal platforms, representing a significant access control flaw that undermines group-based content management security. This issue specifically targets the module's handling of vocabulary permissions within group contexts, creating a privilege escalation scenario that allows authenticated users to manipulate group vocabularies beyond their designated access levels. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and permission checking mechanisms within the module's administrative interface, where users with specific administrator permissions can exploit unspecified vectors to modify vocabularies belonging to other groups.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient authorization checks during vocabulary modification operations, enabling attackers to bypass normal access controls that should restrict users to their own group's vocabulary settings. This weakness creates a direct path for privilege escalation where authenticated users can leverage their administrator permissions to perform unauthorized modifications across multiple groups. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may be exploitable through various attack surfaces within the module's codebase, potentially including direct parameter manipulation, session hijacking, or other forms of unauthorized access exploitation that are not explicitly detailed in the initial vulnerability report. This lack of specificity in the vector description indicates a potentially broad attack surface that could be leveraged in multiple ways depending on the system configuration and user permissions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the fundamental security model of group-based content management systems, potentially allowing malicious actors to alter group-specific vocabulary structures that control content categorization, access permissions, and organizational data hierarchies. The implications extend beyond simple data modification, as vocabulary changes can significantly affect content visibility, user access rights, and overall group functionality within the Drupal platform. Attackers could potentially disrupt group communications, alter content classification systems, or create unauthorized access pathways between groups, leading to information disclosure or data integrity violations that could affect multiple organizational units within a single Drupal installation. The vulnerability particularly impacts organizations that rely heavily on group-based access control and content management, where the integrity of vocabulary structures directly affects the security and operational effectiveness of their collaborative environments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078, specifically legitimate credentials, as it exploits existing administrator permissions to escalate privileges within the group management system. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to the patched version 6.x-1.2 of the OG Vocabulary module, reviewing and restricting administrator permissions for users who do not require cross-group access capabilities, and implementing additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized vocabulary modifications. Security administrators should also consider implementing role-based access controls that explicitly limit the scope of administrative actions within group contexts and establish regular audits of group vocabulary configurations to identify any unauthorized changes that may have occurred. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper access control implementation and the need for comprehensive security testing of module extensions that handle sensitive administrative functions within content management platforms.