CVE-2012-5539 in Organic Groups
Summary
by MITRE
The Organic Groups (OG) module 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.5 for Drupal does not properly maintain pending group memberships, which allows remote authenticated users to post to arbitrary groups by modifying their own account while a pending membership is waiting to be approved.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5539 affects the Organic Groups module version 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.5 in Drupal platforms, representing a significant access control flaw that undermines group membership management integrity. This issue stems from improper handling of pending group memberships within the module's architecture, creating a persistent security weakness that can be exploited by authenticated attackers.
The technical flaw resides in the module's failure to properly validate and enforce group membership permissions during the approval process for pending memberships. When users request to join groups through the Organic Groups module, their membership status transitions to a pending state awaiting administrator approval. However, the vulnerability allows authenticated users to manipulate their account settings or membership requests while these pending approvals remain active, enabling them to bypass normal access controls and post content to groups they should not have access to.
This vulnerability operates under the principle of privilege escalation through session manipulation and demonstrates characteristics aligned with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms. The flaw specifically enables unauthorized group posting capabilities, allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges within the group communication framework without proper authorization. The attack vector requires only authenticated access to the system, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by users who have legitimate account access but lack proper group permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized posting, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of group-based content management within Drupal installations. Organizations relying on Organic Groups for community management, collaboration platforms, or restricted content distribution face potential exposure to malicious actors who can post inappropriate content, spam groups, or potentially exfiltrate sensitive information from restricted group spaces. The vulnerability affects the core group membership workflow and undermines trust in the platform's access control mechanisms.
Security mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching to version 7.x-1.5 or later of the Organic Groups module, as this represents the most direct solution to address the underlying code flaw. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of group membership approval processes and user account modifications during pending membership states. Network segmentation and role-based access controls should be reviewed to minimize potential lateral movement if exploitation occurs, while regular security audits of Drupal modules should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other third-party components. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the 'Abuse Elevation of Privilege' tactic, making it a critical concern for organizations maintaining secure collaborative environments.