CVE-2012-5545 in ShareThis
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the ShareThis module 7.x-2.x before 7.x-2.5 for Drupal allow remote authenticated users with the "administer sharethis" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors related to "JavaScript settings."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2019
The CVE-2012-5545 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the ShareThis module for Drupal, specifically affecting versions 7.x-2.x prior to 7.x-2.5. This vulnerability exposes web applications to significant security risks by allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code or HTML content into the application's interface. The flaw is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access with specific administrative privileges, making it exploitable by users who already possess legitimate access to the system. The vulnerability specifically targets the JavaScript settings functionality within the ShareThis module, which serves as a bridge between the Drupal content management system and external social sharing services.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the ShareThis module's JavaScript configuration handling. When administrators configure the module's JavaScript settings, the system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in the browser context. This lack of proper sanitization creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability operates under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to execute scripts in the victim's browser. The attack vector leverages the module's legitimate functionality to process and display JavaScript configurations, making the exploitation more subtle and harder to detect compared to direct injection points.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-5545 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable sophisticated attacks through the execution of malicious scripts that can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or even executing arbitrary commands on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators have access to the ShareThis module configuration, as a single compromised account could lead to widespread exploitation across the entire user base. The fact that this requires only the "administer sharethis" permission means that the attack surface is broader than many other vulnerabilities that require more elevated privileges, as this permission level is often granted to users who manage social sharing functionality rather than full system administration. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which involves the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities through malicious input handling.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the ShareThis module to version 7.x-2.5 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to prevent JavaScript injection attacks. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of the ShareThis module configuration changes to detect unauthorized modifications that might indicate an ongoing attack. The remediation process should include reviewing all existing ShareThis configurations to ensure no malicious scripts have been injected and conducting comprehensive security audits of all modules that handle JavaScript settings. Security teams should consider implementing content security policies and input validation controls to provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Organizations should also review their access control policies to ensure that only essential personnel have the "administer sharethis" permission, reducing the potential attack surface. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date third-party modules and implementing proper security testing procedures for all web application components that handle user input and dynamic content generation.