CVE-2013-4383 in jQuery Countdown
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the jQuery Countdown module 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.1 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with the "access administration pages" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2018
The CVE-2013-4383 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the jQuery Countdown module for Drupal CMS versions 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.1. This vulnerability specifically targets the web application's input validation mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of affected users' browsers. The flaw exists in the module's handling of user-supplied data, which fails to properly sanitize or escape input before rendering it in web pages. As a remote authenticated threat actor possessing the "access administration pages" permission can exploit this vulnerability, it demonstrates a significant privilege escalation risk within the Drupal ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient output encoding and input validation within the jQuery Countdown module's codebase. When administrators or users with administrative privileges create or modify countdown events, the module fails to adequately process or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This oversight allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the browsers of other users who view the affected pages. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically targeting the module's rendering logic where countdown data is displayed, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators regularly interact with the module's administrative interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities within the context of the vulnerable Drupal site. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, inject backdoors, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The risk is particularly elevated because the vulnerability requires only the "access administration pages" permission, which is typically granted to site administrators and content managers. This means that a compromised account with administrative privileges could be used to inject persistent XSS payloads that affect all users who access the affected pages, potentially leading to complete site compromise and data exfiltration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4383 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected jQuery Countdown module to version 7.x-1.1 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding practices across all Drupal modules, particularly those handling user-generated content. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting administrative permissions to only those users who absolutely require them, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input sanitization can lead to severe security consequences within content management systems. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript,' highlighting the exploitation methods that attackers can use to leverage such XSS vulnerabilities for further compromise.