CVE-2015-3359 in Room Reservations Module
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Room Reservations module before 7.x-1.1 for Drupal allow remote authenticated users with the "Administer the room reservations system" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) node title of a "Room Reservations Category" or (2) body of a "Room Reservations Room" node.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2015-3359 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Room Reservations module for Drupal, specifically affecting versions prior to 7.x-1.1. This vulnerability resides in the web application's input validation mechanisms and poses significant security risks to organizations utilizing Drupal-based platforms for room reservation management systems. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability specifically targets two distinct input vectors within the module's functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it provides multiple attack surfaces for exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output encoding within the Room Reservations module's handling of user-supplied data. When administrators create or modify "Room Reservations Category" nodes, the system fails to properly escape or validate the node title field, allowing malicious script code to be stored and subsequently executed when the title is rendered in web pages. Similarly, the "Room Reservations Room" node body field suffers from the same inadequate validation, creating a second vector for XSS exploitation. These issues align with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting vulnerabilities in web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices where user-provided content is directly embedded into web pages without proper sanitization, violating fundamental security principles of input sanitization and output encoding.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3359 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the Drupal environment. An attacker with the "Administer the room reservations system" permission can craft malicious payloads that persist in the database and execute whenever other users view the affected pages. This persistent nature of the vulnerability means that even users without direct administrative access can be compromised through the execution of malicious scripts that might steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of the victim. The attack requires only a single authenticated user with administrative privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators exist. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers the use of malicious content to gain initial access or execute code in web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of the Room Reservations module to version 7.x-1.1 or later, which contains the necessary input validation and sanitization fixes. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including regular security audits of custom modules, implementation of Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, and comprehensive input validation across all user-supplied data. Network segmentation and privilege minimization practices should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, ensuring that administrative privileges are granted only to essential personnel. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous activities related to content creation and modification within the room reservations system. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where privileged users can create persistent security threats. Organizations should also consider implementing automated security scanning tools to identify similar vulnerabilities in other modules and custom code implementations.