CVE-2015-3343 in OPAC Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the OPAC module before 7.x-2.3 for Drupal allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims for requests that remove a mapping via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2019
The CVE-2015-3343 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the OPAC module of Drupal platforms prior to version 7.x-2.3. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the Open Public Access Catalog functionality that many libraries and institutions use to provide public access to their bibliographic records. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the lack of proper authentication verification mechanisms when processing requests that modify mapping configurations within the system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to manipulate the system's bibliographic data structures without proper authorization, potentially leading to data corruption or unauthorized modifications of catalog information that users depend upon for research and reference purposes.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of anti-CSRF token verification within the OPAC module's administrative interfaces. When legitimate users interact with the system's mapping removal functionality, the application fails to properly authenticate that the request originates from an authorized user session rather than being forged by an attacker. This weakness creates a pathway for malicious actors to craft specially crafted requests that, when executed by authenticated users, perform unauthorized operations on the system's mapping configurations. The vulnerability's classification as a CSRF issue aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities where applications fail to validate that requests originate from legitimate users. The attack vector operates through the manipulation of user sessions and the exploitation of trust relationships between web applications and their users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification concerns to potentially compromise the integrity of entire library catalog systems. Attackers could exploit this weakness to remove critical bibliographic mappings, corrupt catalog data, or potentially redirect users to malicious content through manipulated catalog entries. The unspecified nature of victim authentication mechanisms suggests that this vulnerability could affect any user with appropriate privileges to access the mapping removal functionality, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have administrative capabilities. The implications are significant for academic institutions, public libraries, and other organizations that rely heavily on accurate bibliographic data for their operations and research services. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability represents a low-effort, high-impact method for disrupting library services and potentially gaining deeper access to system resources through the manipulation of catalog data that might contain sensitive information about collection holdings or user access patterns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3343 require immediate implementation of the official Drupal security update to version 7.x-2.3 or later, which addresses the missing authentication verification mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including the enforcement of proper CSRF token validation throughout all administrative interfaces, regular security auditing of module configurations, and implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious request patterns. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1566.001 for Phishing, as attackers might leverage this weakness to redirect users to malicious sites or manipulate catalog entries to appear legitimate. Network administrators should monitor for unusual patterns in catalog access and modification activities, while system administrators should ensure that all Drupal installations are regularly updated and that module permissions are properly configured to limit access to sensitive administrative functions. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of the updated module to ensure that legitimate administrative functions remain operational while the CSRF vulnerability is properly addressed.