CVE-2014-9740 in Rules Link Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Rules Link module 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.1 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with the "administer rules links" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, which are not properly handled in the (1) question and (2) description strings in a confirmation form for a triggering Rules link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2019
The CVE-2014-9740 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Rules Link module for Drupal version 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.1. This vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess the "administer rules links" permission, creating a significant security risk for Drupal-based web applications. The flaw exists in how the module processes user input within confirmation forms, particularly in the handling of question and description strings associated with triggering Rules links. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and demonstrates the classic pattern of improper input validation and output encoding that enables malicious script injection attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an authenticated attacker with administrative privileges manipulates the question and description fields within the Rules Link module's confirmation interface. These fields are not properly sanitized or encoded before being rendered back to users, allowing malicious HTML or JavaScript code to be injected and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers. The attack vector leverages the module's failure to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, which are fundamental security practices recommended by the OWASP Top Ten and the ATT&CK framework under the T1059.001 technique for command and scripting interpreters. When the vulnerable confirmation form is displayed, the malicious code executes in the browser of any user who views the page, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further compromise of the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent means of compromising Drupal installations that rely on the Rules Link module. Since the affected users must possess legitimate administrative privileges, the attack requires a successful initial compromise of an administrator account or a privilege escalation attack, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with compromised administrative credentials. The vulnerability can be exploited to redirect users to malicious sites, steal session cookies, modify content, or even escalate privileges within the Drupal environment. Organizations using Drupal 7.x-1.x versions of the Rules Link module are at risk of complete system compromise if this vulnerability is exploited, as the attacker can leverage their administrative access to modify system configurations, inject malicious code into other parts of the application, or manipulate user permissions. The attack requires minimal technical expertise beyond understanding basic web application security concepts and the specific behavior of the Drupal Rules Link module.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9740 involve immediate patching of the Rules Link module to version 7.x-1.1 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding fixes. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as input validation at multiple layers, proper output encoding for all user-supplied data, and regular security auditing of contributed modules. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date Drupal core and contributed modules, as well as implementing proper access controls and monitoring for unauthorized administrative activities. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The incident underscores the critical need for organizations to follow secure coding practices and maintain comprehensive security testing procedures for all web applications, particularly those handling user input through administrative interfaces. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.