CVE-2012-2076 in ShareThis
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the administration forms in the ShareThis module 7.x-2.x before 7.x-2.3 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with administer sharethis permissions to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2021
The CVE-2012-2076 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the ShareThis module for Drupal version 7.x-2.x prior to 7.x-2.3. This vulnerability specifically targets the administration forms of the module, creating a dangerous attack surface for authenticated users who possess the "administer sharethis" permissions. The flaw allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information or complete compromise of user sessions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the ShareThis module's administrative interface. When administrators access the module's configuration forms, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input data before rendering it back to the browser. This inadequate sanitization creates multiple injection points where attackers can embed malicious scripts that will execute whenever other users view the affected administrative pages. The vulnerability exists across unspecified vectors, indicating that the sanitization failures are pervasive throughout the module's administrative forms rather than limited to specific input fields.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to Drupal-based websites that utilize the ShareThis module for social sharing functionality. The attack requires only authenticated access with specific administrative permissions, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators have access to the system. Once exploited, the XSS payload can be used to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify administrative content, or even escalate privileges within the Drupal system. The impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft or data exfiltration.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the installation of the patched ShareThis module version 7.x-2.3 or later. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing proper input validation measures and ensuring that administrative users follow the principle of least privilege. Security professionals should monitor for potential exploitation attempts and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of the ATT&CK technique T1059.005 for command and scripting interpreter. The incident underscores the critical importance of regular security updates and proper input sanitization practices in web application development.