CVE-2012-4475 in Security Questions
Summary
by MITRE
The Security Questions module for Drupal 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.1 and 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.1 does not properly restrict access, which allows remote attackers to edit an arbitrary user s questions and answers via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2019
The Security Questions module for Drupal presents a critical access control vulnerability that affects versions prior to 6.x-1.1 and 7.x-1.1. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authorization checks within the module's implementation, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate user security question data without proper authentication. The flaw exists in the module's handling of user permissions and session validation, allowing unauthorized individuals to exploit the system's trust model and gain elevated privileges through manipulation of security question parameters.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability operates through unspecified attack vectors that typically involve crafting malicious requests to the module's endpoints. Attackers can leverage this weakness to modify any user's security questions and corresponding answers, effectively undermining the entire security question authentication mechanism. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, specifically addressing improper access control where the system fails to properly verify user authorization before allowing modifications to sensitive data. The module's failure to validate user identity and permissions during question editing operations creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it fundamentally compromises the security infrastructure built around user authentication. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can reset or modify any user's security questions, potentially gaining access to accounts through social engineering or by using the modified answers to bypass authentication mechanisms. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can enable broader attacks including account takeover, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the system. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user authentication data, undermining trust in the security question system.
Organizations running affected Drupal installations should immediately apply the security patches released in versions 6.x-1.1 and 7.x-1.1 to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for unauthorized modifications to user security question data and consider implementing multi-factor authentication as a compensating control. The remediation process involves updating the Security Questions module to the patched versions and conducting thorough security reviews of all user authentication mechanisms. Security teams should also review access logs for any suspicious activity related to security question modifications and implement proper audit trails to detect future exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in authentication modules and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1555.004 for credential access through compromised authentication mechanisms.