CVE-2012-6572 in Inf08
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the phptemplate_preprocess_node function in template.php in the Inf08 theme 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.10 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with the "administer taxonomy" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a taxonomy vocabulary name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2019
The CVE-2012-6572 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Drupal content management system affecting the Inf08 theme version 6.x-1.x prior to 6.x-1.10. This vulnerability specifically targets the phptemplate_preprocess_node function located in the template.php file, demonstrating how theme-level code can introduce security weaknesses that impact the broader application. The flaw enables remote authenticated attackers who possess the "administer taxonomy" permission to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers. This particular vulnerability operates at the intersection of web application security and content management systems, where theme components can inadvertently create attack vectors that bypass traditional security controls.
The technical mechanism of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization within the taxonomy vocabulary name handling process. When administrators create or modify taxonomy vocabularies, the system fails to properly escape or validate the input before rendering it in the user interface. This allows attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code into the vocabulary name field, which then gets executed when the page containing this information is rendered to other users. The vulnerability specifically leverages the phptemplate_preprocess_node function, which serves as a preprocessing hook for node templates in Drupal's theming system, making it a prime target for injection attacks. The attack requires minimal privileges, only the "administer taxonomy" permission, which is commonly granted to site administrators and content managers, making the exploit particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have administrative access to taxonomy management features.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating potential for more severe consequences within Drupal installations. Attackers can leverage this XSS vulnerability to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, redirect users to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the application. The vulnerability affects the entire Drupal 6.x-1.x release line, potentially compromising thousands of installations that failed to upgrade to the patched version 6.x-1.10. Given that taxonomy vocabularies are fundamental components of Drupal's content organization system, the attack surface is significant, as these elements are frequently used and displayed throughout the user interface. The vulnerability also demonstrates how seemingly innocuous administrative functions can create security risks when proper input validation and output encoding are not implemented consistently across the application stack.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching to version 6.x-1.10 of the Inf08 theme, as this represents the primary mitigation strategy. Security teams should also implement additional defensive measures such as input validation at multiple layers, output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security audits of theme components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-site Scripting flaws, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content. Network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block potential exploitation attempts, while security monitoring should focus on unusual taxonomy management activities that might indicate an attacker attempting to inject malicious content. Regular security assessments of Drupal installations should include thorough examination of all theme components and custom modules to ensure that proper input sanitization and output encoding practices are consistently applied throughout the application.