CVE-2012-5585 in Mixpanel
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Mixpanel module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.1 in Drupal allows remote authenticated users with the "access administration pages" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Maxpanel token.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2021
The CVE-2012-5585 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Mixpanel module for Drupal version 6.x-1.x prior to 6.x-1.1. This vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface of Drupal websites that utilize the Mixpanel analytics module, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this popular content management system. The flaw enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and complete compromise of the affected web application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the Maxpanel token parameter within the Mixpanel module's administrative interface. Attackers with the "access administration pages" permission can leverage this weakness to inject malicious scripts that will execute whenever other administrators or users view the affected administrative pages. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the module's handling of the Maxpanel token, which fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it in the web interface. This represents a classic XSS vulnerability that falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws in software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a foothold to escalate privileges and compromise the entire Drupal installation. Administrators who visit pages containing the maliciously injected content become victims of the XSS attack, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, modify administrative settings, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only the relatively common "access administration pages" permission, which many legitimate administrators possess, making it accessible to users who should normally be trusted within the application's security model. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can execute arbitrary commands through script injection.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the patch released with Mixpanel module version 6.x-1.1, which properly sanitizes the Maxpanel token parameter before rendering it in the user interface. Additionally, administrators should review user permissions to ensure that only trusted individuals possess the "access administration pages" permission, implementing the principle of least privilege. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection patterns, and regular security audits should verify that all Drupal modules are updated to their latest secure versions. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly within administrative interfaces where elevated privileges can be exploited to cause maximum damage. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks, as recommended in OWASP's web application security guidelines.