CVE-2014-5456 in Social Stats
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Social Stats module before 7.x-1.5 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with the "[Content Type]: Create new content" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to the configuration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/06/2018
The CVE-2014-5456 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Social Stats module for Drupal, specifically affecting versions prior to 7.x-1.5. This vulnerability resides in the module's handling of user input during configuration processes, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected websites. The flaw particularly impacts Drupal installations where users possess the specific permission "[Content Type]: Create new content," which allows them to create and modify content items within the system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Social Stats module's configuration interface. When authenticated users with appropriate permissions submit content or configuration data, the module fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before rendering it back to the browser. This inadequate sanitization process creates an environment where malicious scripts can be injected and subsequently executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected content or configuration pages. The vulnerability operates as a reflected XSS attack vector, where the malicious payload is stored and then reflected back to users without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5456 extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially escalate privileges and compromise entire Drupal installations. An authenticated user with content creation permissions can leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that could steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute arbitrary commands on the affected server. This weakness particularly threatens websites that rely heavily on user-generated content or social features, as it allows attackers to manipulate the social stats functionality to spread malicious payloads throughout the user base. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it requires only a basic content creation permission, which many websites grant to registered users, making exploitation relatively straightforward.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to the patched version 7.x-1.5 of the Social Stats module, which addresses the input validation gaps through proper sanitization and encoding of user-supplied data. Additionally, administrators should review and restrict content creation permissions to minimize the attack surface, ensuring that only trusted users possess the ability to create content that might be processed by vulnerable modules. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of "Cross-Site Scripting." Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies and regular security audits of contributed modules to identify similar vulnerabilities that might exist in other third-party components. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated module to ensure that the XSS protection measures do not introduce compatibility issues with existing website functionality.