CVE-2012-5557 in User Readonly
Summary
by MITRE
The User Read-Only module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.4 and 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.4 for Drupal, does not properly assign roles when there are more than three roles on the site and certain unspecified configurations, which might allow remote authenticated users to gain privileges by performing certain operations, as demonstrated by changing a password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5557 affects the User Read-Only module in Drupal versions 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.4 and 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.4. This issue represents a significant privilege escalation vulnerability that stems from improper role assignment logic within the module's core functionality. The flaw manifests specifically when sites operate with more than three user roles and encounter certain unspecified configuration conditions, creating a scenario where authenticated users can exploit the system's role management mechanisms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the module's insufficient validation and assignment procedures for user roles. When Drupal processes user operations such as password changes, the module fails to properly verify role permissions when multiple roles are present in the system. This misconfiguration creates a path where users can manipulate their role assignments through legitimate administrative operations, effectively bypassing the intended access controls. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms, specifically focusing on inadequate privilege management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows remote authenticated users to gain elevated privileges within the Drupal system. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform operations that should be restricted to privileged users only, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The demonstrated attack vector involves changing user passwords, which serves as a clear indicator of how attackers can leverage the privilege escalation to manipulate user accounts and potentially gain administrative control over the entire Drupal installation.
This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including privilege escalation and credential access, as it enables attackers to obtain higher privileges through legitimate system operations. The issue particularly affects organizations running Drupal installations with complex user role configurations, where the presence of multiple roles increases the likelihood of triggering the problematic code path. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper role-based access control implementation even in specialized modules that appear to provide read-only functionality.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately upgrade to the patched versions of the User Read-Only module, specifically versions 6.x-1.4 and 7.x-1.4. Additionally, system administrators should conduct thorough reviews of their user role configurations to identify and mitigate potential exposure. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of comprehensive security testing for all Drupal modules, particularly those that interact with core user management functionality. Regular security audits and patch management processes should be strengthened to prevent similar issues from arising in other custom or contributed modules within the Drupal ecosystem.