CVE-2013-1971 in MP3 Player
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the MP3 Player module for Drupal 6.x allows remote authenticated users with certain permissions to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the file name of a MP3 file.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2018
The CVE-2013-1971 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the MP3 Player module for Drupal 6.x systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of file names during MP3 file uploads, creating an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response. The flaw exists in the module's processing of user-supplied file names, where proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms are insufficient to prevent malicious code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess authenticated access with specific permissions within the Drupal environment. This authentication requirement significantly reduces the attack surface compared to fully unauthenticated exploits, but the impact remains severe as the attacker can leverage their privileges to inject malicious code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of file name parameters, where user input containing script tags or malicious HTML elements is directly incorporated into the application's output without proper sanitization or encoding.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to Drupal 6.x deployments that utilize the MP3 Player module. When exploited, the XSS attack can result in session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The attack vector specifically targets the file name field during MP3 file uploads, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users can upload media files with associated metadata. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks such as CSRF exploitation or data exfiltration from authenticated sessions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which classifies cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. This categorization emphasizes the fundamental security principle that all user-supplied input must be properly validated and encoded before being rendered in web responses. Additionally, the attack pattern relates to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of web application vulnerabilities through XSS attacks. Organizations running vulnerable Drupal 6.x installations face potential compromise of user sessions and data integrity, particularly when users with upload privileges are targeted by attackers.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the MP3 Player module to the latest secure version that addresses the input sanitization flaw. System administrators should also implement proper input validation at multiple layers, including application-level filtering of file name parameters and output encoding of all user-supplied content. Network-based solutions such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by detecting and blocking malicious payloads attempting to exploit XSS vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and privilege reviews should be conducted to ensure that only necessary users possess upload permissions that could potentially exploit this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in browser contexts.