CVE-2012-6573 in Apachesolr Autocomplete
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Apache Solr Autocomplete module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.4 and 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.3 for Drupal allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors involving autocomplete results.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2018
The CVE-2012-6573 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Apache Solr Autocomplete module for Drupal, affecting versions 6.x-1.x prior to 6.x-1.4 and 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.3. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw specifically resides in how the autocomplete module processes and displays search results, creating an environment where malicious input can be executed in the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the Solr Autocomplete module fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into autocomplete suggestions displayed on web pages. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious search queries containing embedded scripts that get processed and returned as autocomplete results. When other users view these autocomplete suggestions, their browsers execute the injected malicious code, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the legitimate functionality of the autocomplete feature, making it harder for security controls to detect malicious activity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that align with several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for credential harvesting and T1059 for command and control communications. Remote attackers can use this vulnerability to establish persistent access to affected systems by stealing user sessions or installing backdoors through the executed malicious scripts. The vulnerability affects Drupal installations that rely on Solr for search functionality, making it particularly concerning for content management systems that handle sensitive user data or business-critical information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-6573 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to versions 6.x-1.4 or 7.x-1.3, which contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent unauthorized script injection, particularly for autocomplete and search functionality. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual autocomplete query patterns and script execution attempts, while regular security audits should verify that all Drupal modules are running supported versions. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current Drupal core and module versions as part of comprehensive security hygiene practices, as outdated components represent common attack vectors for sophisticated threat actors.