CVE-2014-9015 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE
Drupal 6.x before 6.34 and 7.x before 7.34 allows remote attackers to hijack sessions via a crafted request, as demonstrated by a crafted request to a server that supports both HTTP and HTTPS sessions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-9015 represents a critical session hijacking flaw affecting Drupal content management systems versions 6.x prior to 6.34 and 7.x prior to 7.34. This vulnerability specifically targets the session management mechanism within Drupal, creating a pathway for remote attackers to assume control of user sessions without requiring authentication credentials. The flaw exploits the way Drupal handles session identifiers across different protocol contexts, particularly when a server supports both HTTP and HTTPS connections simultaneously. The vulnerability operates by manipulating session cookies and request handling mechanisms to redirect or intercept session data between different protocol states.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate session validation and protocol handling within Drupal's core session management functions. When a user accesses a Drupal site through both HTTP and HTTPS protocols, the system fails to properly validate session integrity across these different contexts. Attackers can craft malicious requests that exploit this inconsistency to manipulate session cookies, potentially allowing them to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to their accounts. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it does not require any privileged access or complex exploitation techniques, making it accessible to attackers with basic web application penetration skills.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-9015 extends beyond simple session hijacking to encompass potential data breaches, unauthorized administrative access, and complete account compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can access sensitive user information, modify content, and potentially escalate privileges to administrative levels within the Drupal environment. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it can be executed remotely without requiring any local system access or knowledge of the underlying server configuration. This vulnerability affects not only standard user accounts but also administrator accounts, potentially allowing full system compromise. The risk is amplified in environments where users access Drupal sites through mixed protocol connections, which is common in production web environments.
Security practitioners should immediately implement the official Drupal security patches released for versions 6.34 and 7.34 to address this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy involves updating to the patched versions of Drupal core, which include enhanced session validation mechanisms and improved protocol handling. Organizations should also review their web server configurations to ensure consistent session handling across HTTP and HTTPS protocols. Additional protective measures include implementing secure session cookie attributes such as HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags, along with monitoring for suspicious session activity patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-384, which addresses session management weaknesses in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to credential access through session hijacking. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper session management in web applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing across all protocol contexts.