CVE-2012-5542 in Commerce Extra Panes
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Commerce Extra Panes module 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.1 in Drupal allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that enable or disable a Commerce extra panes pane via unspecified vectors related to "the link to reorder items."
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/07/2018
The CVE-2012-5542 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Drupal Commerce Extra Panes module version 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.1. This vulnerability specifically targets administrative users who manage Commerce commerce panes within the Drupal content management system. The flaw manifests through unspecified vectors related to the link used for reordering items within the commerce pane interface, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate administrative actions without proper authentication. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-352 indicates it falls within the well-established category of Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks that exploit the trust a web application places in a user's authenticated session. This particular implementation weakness allows attackers to leverage legitimate administrative permissions through maliciously crafted requests that appear to originate from authenticated users.
The technical execution of this CSRF vulnerability occurs when administrators interact with the Commerce Extra Panes module interface, particularly during operations that enable or disable panes. The flaw exploits the lack of proper validation for requests originating from the administrative interface, specifically those related to reordering functionality. Attackers can construct malicious web pages or email attachments that, when viewed by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to modify pane configurations. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple configuration changes since administrators may have elevated privileges that could lead to broader system compromise. The attack vector demonstrates the classic CSRF pattern where the malicious request is executed in the context of the victim's authenticated session, bypassing normal authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates how seemingly benign interface elements can become attack vectors for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-5542 is significant for Drupal sites utilizing the Commerce Extra Panes module, particularly those with multiple administrators or sites handling sensitive commerce transactions. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to disable critical commerce functionality, potentially disrupting business operations and customer transactions. The vulnerability's ability to manipulate pane enablement and disablement settings could also serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, including data manipulation or the installation of malicious modules. The attack requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed through standard web browser interactions, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with less security-aware administrators. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers Valid Accounts and T1566 which covers Phishing, as attackers can leverage the authenticated session to execute unauthorized administrative commands. The impact extends to business continuity and customer trust, as unauthorized modifications to commerce functionality could result in financial losses and reputational damage.
Organizations affected by CVE-2012-5542 should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary and most effective solution involves upgrading the Commerce Extra Panes module to version 7.x-1.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to validate CSRF tokens for administrative actions. Security teams should also implement additional protective measures including the use of anti-CSRF tokens for all administrative operations, proper session management, and enhanced input validation for all user-supplied data. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious requests attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Regular security audits should verify that all Drupal modules are up to date and that proper access controls are in place for administrative functions. Organizations should also consider implementing role-based access controls to limit administrative privileges to only those users who require them, reducing the potential impact of successful CSRF attacks. The vulnerability's remediation aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST SP 800-53, emphasizing the importance of proper authentication and session management controls.