CVE-2014-8734 in Organic Groups Menu
Summary
by MITRE
The Organic Groups Menu (aka OG Menu) module before 7.x-2.2 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with the "access administration pages" permission to change module settings via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2018
The Organic Groups Menu module for Drupal represents a critical security vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8734, affecting versions prior to 7.x-2.2. This vulnerability resides within the module's handling of administrative permissions and configuration management, creating a significant risk for Drupal installations that utilize this component for group-based menu management. The flaw specifically targets authenticated users who possess the "access administration pages" permission, which is a fundamental administrative capability within Drupal's permission system. These users, while normally restricted to administrative interfaces, can exploit this vulnerability to manipulate module settings through unspecified vectors that bypass normal security controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the OG Menu module's administrative interfaces. When users with the specified permission attempt to modify module configurations, the system fails to properly validate the integrity of the submitted parameters or enforce proper authorization checks for sensitive administrative actions. This weakness creates a path for privilege escalation where authenticated attackers can manipulate module settings without proper authorization, potentially leading to configuration changes that affect group access controls, menu structures, or other organizational elements managed by the module. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may manifest through various attack paths including parameter manipulation, form submission tampering, or direct API calls that bypass expected validation routines.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it can enable attackers to fundamentally alter how group menus function within a Drupal installation. This capability allows malicious actors to potentially restrict access to certain groups, modify menu item permissions, or even disable critical menu functionality that organizations rely upon for content organization and user access management. In environments where Organic Groups Menu is extensively used for managing complex organizational structures, such as universities, corporations, or community platforms, this vulnerability could result in unauthorized access control modifications, data exposure, or disruption of group-based content delivery systems. The implications are particularly severe because the affected users already possess administrative capabilities, making their actions more dangerous than typical privilege escalation attacks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to the patched version 7.x-2.2 of the OG Menu module, which addresses the unspecified vectors through enhanced input validation and stricter access control enforcement. System administrators should also conduct thorough security reviews of all module configurations and monitor for unauthorized changes to group menu settings following any potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing network-based security controls such as web application firewalls and access control lists can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and maps to ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and configuration modification. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege policies to minimize the impact of compromised accounts with administrative permissions, ensuring that users only receive the minimum necessary access rights to perform their duties.