CVE-2015-3385 in Taxonomy Path Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Taxonomy Path module before 7.x-1.2 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the "Link to path" field formatter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2019
The CVE-2015-3385 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Taxonomy Path module for Drupal platforms, specifically affecting versions prior to 7.x-1.2. This vulnerability resides in the module's handling of user input within the "Link to path" field formatter, creating a persistent security weakness that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The issue manifests when authenticated users with appropriate privileges interact with taxonomy terms that utilize the problematic field formatter, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative or content editor roles are shared among multiple users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper sanitization of user-supplied data within the Taxonomy Path module's rendering process. When administrators or authorized users create or modify taxonomy terms that employ the "Link to path" field formatter, the module fails to adequately validate or escape special characters in the input data. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the browser context of other users who view the affected taxonomy terms. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS issue under CWE-79, which specifically addresses the improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and falls under the broader category of CWE-116 for inadequate output escaping. The attack vector requires minimal privileges since it only necessitates authenticated access to the Drupal administration interface, making it particularly insidious as it can be exploited by users with relatively low-level permissions.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3385 extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, deface websites, steal sensitive user information, or redirect victims to malicious domains. In multi-user Drupal environments, this vulnerability can compromise the integrity of content management systems where taxonomy terms are frequently used for navigation, categorization, and site structure. The attack surface is particularly broad since taxonomy paths are commonly used throughout Drupal sites for menu structures, breadcrumb navigation, and content organization, meaning that a single compromised term can affect numerous site visitors. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting web applications through script injection methods that leverage the trust relationship between the web application and its users. The exploitation can lead to complete system compromise if attackers can escalate privileges or combine this vulnerability with other weaknesses in the Drupal installation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3385 focus primarily on immediate patching of the Taxonomy Path module to version 7.x-1.2 or later, which incorporates proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive security monitoring to detect any suspicious activity related to taxonomy term modifications, particularly those involving the "Link to path" field formatter. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact by restricting which users can modify taxonomy terms, thereby reducing the attack surface. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks, though this should not be considered a substitute for proper patching. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments of Drupal installations to identify and remediate similar issues in other contributed modules, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation across all user-facing components of content management systems. The incident underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date Drupal core and contributed modules, as well as implementing robust security practices such as input validation, output encoding, and privilege separation to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising web applications.