CVE-2013-4501 in Quiz
Summary
by MITRE
The default views in the Quiz module 6.x-4.x before 6.x-4.5 for Drupal allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive quiz results via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4501 affects the Quiz module version 6.x-4.x prior to 6.x-4.5 in the Drupal content management system. This security flaw resides within the default views implementation of the Quiz module, which is commonly used for creating and managing online assessments and examinations. The issue represents a critical access control weakness that enables unauthorized remote attackers to gain access to sensitive quiz results data through unspecified attack vectors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate permission controls within the Quiz module's default view configurations. When users access quiz results through the module's default views, the system fails to properly validate user permissions and authentication status. This allows attackers who can guess or obtain valid URLs to bypass normal access restrictions and view quiz results that should be restricted to authorized participants or administrators. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability could be exploited through multiple attack paths including direct URL manipulation, session hijacking, or other reconnaissance techniques that leverage the module's default configurations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Drupal for educational platforms, corporate training systems, or any environment where quiz results contain sensitive information. The exposure of quiz results could lead to academic dishonesty, compromise of assessment integrity, unauthorized access to personal information, and potential data breaches. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it undermines the fundamental security model of the platform and could enable further attacks through the exposure of user data patterns or assessment content. Organizations using the affected module versions face potential regulatory compliance violations and reputational damage when such sensitive data is compromised.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching to version 6.x-4.5 or later of the Quiz module, which contains the necessary security fixes. System administrators should also conduct thorough reviews of all default view configurations within the Quiz module to ensure proper access controls are implemented. Additional security measures include implementing network-level access controls, monitoring for unusual access patterns to quiz results, and conducting regular security audits of Drupal modules. Organizations should also consider implementing role-based access controls and ensuring that all users have appropriate permission levels assigned. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, and represents a typical example of how insecure default configurations can create persistent security risks in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this issue under privilege escalation and data exposure techniques, where adversaries exploit weak access controls to obtain unauthorized information access.