CVE-2014-8748 in Doubleclick for Publishers
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Google Doubleclick for Publishers (DFP) module 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.2 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with the "administer dfp" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a slot name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2018
The CVE-2014-8748 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Google Doubleclick for Publishers module for Drupal, specifically affecting versions 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.2. This vulnerability resides in the administrative interface of the DFP module, which is commonly used for managing digital advertising placements within Drupal-based websites. The flaw enables malicious actors with the specific "administer dfp" permission to execute arbitrary code through crafted input in the slot name field, creating a persistent security risk for organizations relying on this advertising management system. The vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of web applications by allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that can compromise user sessions and exfiltrate sensitive data.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the slot name parameter processing. When administrators enter slot names through the DFP administrative interface, the module fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows authenticated users with administrative privileges to craft malicious slot names containing script tags or other harmful code sequences. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between the legitimate administrator and the web application, making detection more challenging as the malicious code originates from within the trusted administrative interface. The flaw specifically targets the user interface components where slot names are displayed, creating a persistent XSS vector that can affect all users who view the affected administrative pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, deface websites, steal sensitive administrative credentials, and potentially escalate privileges within the Drupal environment. Once an attacker successfully injects malicious code through the slot name field, the injected scripts execute in the context of other authenticated users' browsers, including administrators who may view the compromised pages. This creates a significant risk for organizations that rely on Drupal for content management and advertising services, as the vulnerability can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive advertising data, manipulate ad placements, and potentially compromise the entire website infrastructure. The vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing injection flaws and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary and most critical mitigation involves upgrading to the patched version 7.x-1.2 of the DFP module, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege separation ensures that only trusted personnel have administrative access to the DFP module, reducing the attack surface. Network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by detecting and blocking malicious script injection attempts, though these should complement rather than replace the core patching strategy. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting, demonstrating how the vulnerability can be exploited to execute malicious code within the target environment. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the Drupal ecosystem.