CVE-2013-4595 in Secure Pages
Summary
by MITRE
The Secure Pages module 6.x-2.x before 6.x-2.0 for Drupal does not properly match URLs, which causes HTTP to be used instead of HTTPS and makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted web page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2015
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4595 affects the Secure Pages module version 6.x-2.x before 6.x-2.0 in the Drupal content management system. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the intended transport layer security mechanisms designed to protect sensitive data transmission between web clients and servers. The issue specifically resides within the URL matching logic implementation that governs how the module determines when to enforce secure HTTPS connections versus insecure HTTP connections.
The technical flaw manifests as improper URL pattern matching within the Secure Pages module's configuration handling system. When administrators configure the module to enforce secure pages for specific paths or domains, the module fails to accurately validate and match the incoming URL patterns against the configured secure page rules. This misconfiguration allows attackers to craft malicious web pages or manipulate URL parameters in such a way that the module incorrectly determines whether a connection should be secured with HTTPS or remain unencrypted with HTTP. The vulnerability essentially creates a bypass mechanism where sensitive information can be transmitted over insecure channels despite explicit security configurations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it directly enables man-in-the-middle attacks and eavesdropping scenarios where remote attackers can intercept and obtain sensitive information. When HTTP connections are inadvertently used instead of HTTPS, credentials, session tokens, personal data, and other confidential information become vulnerable to network sniffing attacks. This weakness particularly affects web applications that rely on Drupal's Secure Pages module for enforcing secure communication protocols, potentially exposing user authentication data, private communications, and business-critical information to unauthorized access.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper information exposure, and represents a failure in secure communication protocol enforcement. From an attack perspective, this issue maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 for social engineering and T1046 for network service detection, as attackers can exploit the misconfigured security settings to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. Organizations using vulnerable Drupal installations face increased risk of data breaches and compliance violations, particularly in environments where sensitive information handling is regulated by standards such as PCI DSS or HIPAA.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate upgrading to Secure Pages module version 6.x-2.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to fix the URL matching logic. Administrators should also conduct comprehensive security audits of their Drupal installations to identify any other potentially vulnerable modules or configurations. Additional defensive measures include implementing proper HTTP Strict Transport Security headers, regularly monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes, and ensuring that all web applications maintain up-to-date security patches. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions can provide additional layers of protection by detecting and alerting on anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.