CVE-2012-1649 in Cool Aid
Summary
by MITRE
Cool Aid module before 6.x-1.9 for Drupal does not enforce access restrictions, which allows remote authenticated users with the administer coolaid permission to modify arbitrary pages via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1649 affects the Cool Aid module version 6.x-1.8 and earlier in the Drupal content management system, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of affected installations. This issue stems from inadequate permission enforcement mechanisms within the module's architecture, specifically failing to properly validate user privileges when processing requests to modify content. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects authenticated users who possess the specific administer coolaid permission, yet allows them to exploit the system in ways that exceed their intended authorization scope.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the module's insufficient input validation and access control checks that should normally prevent users from modifying pages they lack authorization to alter. Attackers with the administer coolaid permission can leverage unspecified vectors to bypass normal content modification restrictions, potentially enabling them to alter any page within the Drupal site regardless of their actual permissions. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where a user with limited administrative rights can gain broader modification capabilities through the flawed module implementation. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple content manipulation as it could enable attackers to inject malicious code, alter critical site functionality, or compromise the integrity of the entire Drupal installation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Drupal with the Cool Aid module, as it allows authenticated attackers to perform unauthorized modifications to website content and structure. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple exploitation pathways may exist, making it challenging for administrators to implement precise defensive measures. Security practitioners must understand that this vulnerability operates at the application layer, requiring authentication to exploit but potentially enabling wide-ranging damage once compromised. The vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege, where users should only have access to resources necessary for their specific roles, and instead allows for broader system modification capabilities than intended.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Cool Aid module version 6.x-1.9 or later, which contains the necessary access control fixes to prevent unauthorized page modifications. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, enforcing strict role-based access controls, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a clear violation of the security principle that access controls should be enforced at multiple levels within an application. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques where attackers leverage existing permissions to gain broader system access, potentially enabling later stages of the attack lifecycle such as persistence or data exfiltration. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security audits of their Drupal installations to identify other potentially vulnerable modules and ensure proper access control implementations across all administrative functions.