CVE-2014-2983 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE
Drupal 6.x before 6.31 and 7.x before 7.27 does not properly isolate the cached data of different anonymous users, which allows remote anonymous users to obtain sensitive interim form input information in opportunistic situations via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2983 represents a critical security flaw in the Drupal content management system affecting versions 6.x prior to 6.31 and 7.x prior to 7.27. This issue stems from inadequate isolation mechanisms within Drupal's caching architecture specifically designed for anonymous user sessions. The flaw allows remote attackers to access sensitive form data that should remain isolated between different anonymous users, creating a significant risk for web applications relying on Drupal's form handling and caching mechanisms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in Drupal's improper handling of cached form data for anonymous users. When multiple anonymous users interact with the same form simultaneously, the system fails to properly separate their individual form states and input data. This occurs because the caching system does not adequately distinguish between different anonymous user sessions, leading to potential cross-contamination of form data. The vulnerability manifests when the system retrieves cached form information for one anonymous user while inadvertently exposing cached data belonging to another anonymous user who previously accessed the same form. This issue falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and specifically relates to improper information isolation within web applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2983 extends beyond simple data leakage to potentially compromise user privacy and application integrity. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to access sensitive interim form input information such as user credentials, personal data, or other confidential information entered into forms. The opportunistic nature of this attack means that the vulnerability can be exploited without requiring authentication or specific user interaction beyond accessing the vulnerable Drupal application. This creates a persistent risk for any Drupal installation running affected versions, particularly those handling sensitive user data through web forms. The vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 "Data from Information Repositories" as it enables unauthorized access to form data stored in application repositories.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2983 primarily involve upgrading to patched versions of Drupal 6.x (6.31) and 7.x (7.27) where the caching isolation issues have been resolved. Organizations should immediately implement these security updates across all affected Drupal installations to eliminate the vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing additional security measures such as enhanced session management, regular security audits, and monitoring for unusual access patterns. The fix addresses the underlying caching mechanism by ensuring proper separation of anonymous user sessions and implementing stronger isolation controls between different user contexts. Security teams should also review their application logs for potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all Drupal components are kept current with security patches to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging.