CVE-2012-5587 in Email
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Email Field module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.3 for Drupal allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the mailto link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2019
The CVE-2012-5587 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Email Field module for Drupal 6.x-1.x versions prior to 6.x-1.3. This vulnerability specifically targets the module's handling of mailto links, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected websites. The Email Field module, which extends Drupal's functionality by providing email field types for content management, becomes a vector for persistent XSS attacks when improperly sanitizing user input in mailto link generation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the module's insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms. When Drupal processes email addresses within the Email Field module, particularly in scenarios involving mailto links, the system fails to properly sanitize user-provided email addresses before rendering them in web pages. Attackers can craft malicious email addresses containing embedded JavaScript code or HTML tags that get executed when users view pages containing these fields. The vulnerability stems from the module's lack of proper HTML escaping and context-aware output encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist in the application's rendered output.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-5587 extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. When users visit pages containing compromised mailto links, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially compromising their sessions or redirecting them to malicious sites. This vulnerability particularly affects Drupal installations using the Email Field module, where the XSS payload can be triggered through various user interactions such as viewing content pages, editing forms, or even through automated attacks targeting specific user groups. The persistence of these attacks makes them particularly dangerous as they can affect multiple users over extended periods.
Security practitioners should prioritize immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to address this vulnerability, as the 6.x-1.3 release specifically includes fixes for the XSS flaw. The mitigation strategy involves updating the Email Field module to version 6.x-1.3 or later, which implements proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing content security policies to limit script execution and employ web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and represents a typical attack pattern categorized under the ATT&CK framework's T1059.007 technique for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers leverage browser-based scripting to execute malicious code within user contexts. Organizations should also conduct thorough security audits of their Drupal installations to identify any other potentially vulnerable modules or custom code that might exhibit similar input validation weaknesses.