CVE-2015-1568 in GD Infinite Scroll
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the GD Infinite Scroll module before 7.x-1.4 for Drupal allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of users with the "edit gd infinite scroll settings" permission for requests that delete settings via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2018
The CVE-2015-1568 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the GD Infinite Scroll module for Drupal platforms. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 7.x-1.4 and creates a significant security risk by allowing remote attackers to manipulate authenticated user sessions. The flaw occurs when users with the specific permission "edit gd infinite scroll settings" are tricked into executing unintended actions through crafted requests. The vulnerability stems from the module's insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that rely on Drupal's content management capabilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of weak session management and authentication verification mechanisms within the GD Infinite Scroll module. Attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate user sessions, leveraging the existing trust relationship between the web application and authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically targets the deletion of settings functionality, which represents a high-impact operation that can disrupt application behavior and potentially lead to privilege escalation. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery flaws as a direct result of insufficient anti-CSRF measures and improper request validation. The attack vector operates through the manipulation of HTTP requests where the victim's browser automatically includes authentication cookies, enabling unauthorized actions to be performed on behalf of the authenticated user.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1568 extends beyond simple data manipulation to encompass potential system compromise and service disruption. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to delete critical configuration settings within the GD Infinite Scroll module, which could result in application instability or complete loss of functionality for infinite scrolling features. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where administrators or content editors have the targeted permission, as these users typically possess elevated privileges within the application. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 which involves abuse of privilege escalation through session management flaws. The vulnerability's impact is amplified when considering that Drupal installations often serve as core platforms for content-heavy websites, making the potential for widespread disruption significant.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1568 require immediate implementation of version updates and proper security hardening measures. The primary remediation involves upgrading to GD Infinite Scroll module version 7.x-1.4 or later, which includes proper CSRF token validation and request origin verification. Organizations should also implement additional security layers including web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, proper session management configurations, and comprehensive monitoring of administrative actions. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected module across their Drupal installations, ensuring that no legacy versions remain operational. The implementation of proper input validation and output encoding practices, combined with regular security audits, will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other modules or custom code implementations. Additionally, user education regarding suspicious link clicking and phishing attempts remains crucial in defending against exploitation attempts that rely on social engineering components.