CVE-2014-8319 in Easy Social
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the easy_social_admin_summary function in the Easy Social module 7.x-2.x before 7.x-2.11 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with certain permissions to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a block title.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2018
The CVE-2014-8319 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Easy Social module for Drupal, specifically affecting version 7.x-2.x prior to 7.x-2.11. This vulnerability resides in the easy_social_admin_summary function, which processes administrative summaries within the module's interface. The flaw enables remote authenticated users to execute malicious code through a carefully crafted block title input field, creating a persistent security risk for Drupal installations that utilize this module.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the administrative summary function. When administrators create or modify blocks within the Easy Social module, the system fails to properly escape or filter user-provided content in the block title field. This allows attackers with appropriate permissions to inject malicious javascript code or html markup that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view the administrative interface. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess permissions to manage blocks or content within the Easy Social module, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators have access to the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. Attackers can leverage this XSS flaw to establish persistent backdoors, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the Drupal environment. The vulnerability's persistence is particularly concerning as the injected scripts execute every time affected users access the administrative interface, potentially allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to the system. Additionally, the vulnerability can be exploited to target other users within the same Drupal installation, creating a potential attack vector for privilege escalation and lateral movement within the network infrastructure.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately upgrade to Easy Social module version 7.x-2.11 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. Security teams should also implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious block creation activities and conduct thorough audits of existing blocks within the system. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as defined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566 for credential access through social engineering, as attackers can leverage the XSS to harvest credentials or manipulate administrative functions. Administrators should also consider implementing content security policies and regular security scanning procedures to detect similar vulnerabilities in other modules or custom code implementations.