CVE-2012-2711 in Taxonomy List
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Taxonomy List module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.4 for Drupal allow remote authenticated users with create or edit taxonomy terms permissions to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to taxonomy information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2711 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Taxonomy List module of Drupal version 6.x-1.x, specifically affecting releases prior to 6.x-1.4. This issue resides within the core web application framework that millions of websites rely upon for content management and user interaction. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects authenticated users who possess legitimate permissions to create or edit taxonomy terms, meaning that even trusted users within the system can potentially exploit this weakness to compromise the security of the entire platform. The Taxonomy List module serves as a fundamental component for organizing content within Drupal, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged to manipulate how information is categorized and displayed across the website.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the taxonomy term handling mechanisms of the Drupal module. When authenticated users with appropriate permissions create or modify taxonomy terms, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML code into taxonomy term names, descriptions, or other editable fields. The flaw operates as a classic reflected XSS vulnerability where user input is directly embedded into web responses without proper encoding or filtering, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically targets the taxonomy information handling system, which is commonly used for categorizing content, creating navigation structures, and organizing website data in a meaningful way.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the compromised Drupal environment. An attacker with access to taxonomy term creation or editing capabilities can craft malicious entries that, when viewed by other users, execute scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even modify content in real-time. This type of vulnerability can be particularly damaging in multi-user environments where administrators or content creators may inadvertently view malicious taxonomy terms, leading to complete session hijacking or privilege escalation. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to use the compromised system as a launching point for further attacks against other systems within the organization's network, as user credentials and session information can be harvested and potentially used to access additional resources.
Organizations affected by CVE-2012-2711 should implement immediate mitigations to protect their Drupal installations from exploitation. The primary and most effective remediation involves upgrading to Drupal 6.x-1.4 or later versions where the vulnerability has been patched. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing proper input validation measures and output encoding for all user-supplied data within taxonomy term handling components. This aligns with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and follows the principle of least privilege by limiting taxonomy term creation and editing permissions to only those users who absolutely require such capabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and regular security audits to identify potential similar vulnerabilities in other modules or components of their Drupal installations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding techniques that are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks, as recommended in the CWE catalog under category 79 for Cross-Site Scripting flaws and aligned with ATT&CK technique T1566 for Phishing through Social Engineering.