CVE-2013-4274 in Password Policy
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the password_policy_admin_view function in password_policy.admin.inc in the Password Policy module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.6 and 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.5 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with the "Administer policies" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the "Password Expiration Warning" field to the admin/config/people/password_policy/add page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2017
The CVE-2013-4274 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Password Policy module for Drupal platforms, specifically affecting versions 6.x-1.x prior to 6.x-1.6 and 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.5. This vulnerability exists in the password_policy_admin_view function located in the password_policy.admin.inc file, creating a significant security risk for Drupal installations that utilize this module for password policy management. The flaw allows authenticated users with administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts into the system through a specific input field.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker with the "Administer policies" permission accesses the admin/config/people/password_policy/add page and submits malicious content into the "Password Expiration Warning" field. This field is designed to accept warning messages displayed to users regarding password expiration policies, but due to insufficient input sanitization, the module fails to properly escape or validate the user-supplied content. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of user input within the administrative interface, where the system does not adequately filter or encode special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript commands by web browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of the victim's browser session. When an administrator or other users navigate to pages that display the malicious content, the injected scripts can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious websites, modifying page content, or executing unauthorized administrative functions. This represents a severe privilege escalation risk since the attacker already possesses administrative permissions, potentially allowing them to create persistent backdoors or exfiltrate sensitive data from the system. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited to gain deeper access to system configurations and user management functions.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which identifies Cross-Site Scripting as a critical weakness in web applications, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Scripting and T1566.001 for Phishing. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and output encoding practices that violate secure coding principles. Organizations using Drupal with the Password Policy module should immediately upgrade to the patched versions mentioned in the CVE description, as the vulnerability exists in the core module functionality rather than being dependent on external factors. Additionally, administrators should implement proper input sanitization measures and consider additional security monitoring for unusual administrative activities. The vulnerability underscores the importance of thorough testing for XSS flaws in administrative interfaces and highlights the critical need for regular security updates to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities in content management systems.