CVE-2015-4350 in Spider Catalog Module
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the Spider Catalog module for Drupal allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that delete (1) products, (2) ratings, or (3) categories via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4350 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Spider Catalog module for Drupal platforms. This security weakness resides in the module's insufficient validation of user authentication tokens, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit administrator sessions without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically affects the module's handling of delete operations for core e-commerce elements including products, ratings, and categories, making it particularly dangerous for online stores and catalog management systems that rely on Drupal's Spider Catalog functionality.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the affected module's delete request handlers. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities in web browsers to trick authenticated administrators into executing unintended delete operations. These operations occur within the context of the administrator's active session, bypassing normal authentication checks and authorization protocols. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the attack surface includes multiple potential entry points that could be exploited through various methods such as embedded iframes, crafted HTTP requests, or social engineering techniques targeting administrators who visit compromised websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as it can lead to complete disruption of e-commerce operations and potential financial losses for businesses relying on the affected Drupal installations. When administrators delete products, ratings, or categories through forged requests, they inadvertently compromise the integrity of their online catalog and customer review systems. This can result in lost revenue, damaged customer trust, and the need for extensive data recovery procedures. The vulnerability particularly affects businesses that depend on user-generated content ratings and product categorization systems, where unauthorized deletions could significantly impact search engine optimization and user experience. Additionally, the administrative hijacking capability means that attackers could potentially escalate their privileges or perform other malicious actions within the affected system's scope.
Organizations affected by CVE-2015-4350 should immediately implement mitigation strategies focusing on the enforcement of proper CSRF token validation mechanisms within the Spider Catalog module. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all delete operations require valid session tokens that are verified against the administrator's current session state, preventing unauthorized execution of administrative commands. Security patches should be applied to update the module to versions that address the CSRF token validation deficiencies, while organizations should also consider implementing additional web application firewall rules to detect and block suspicious request patterns. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual administrative activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and proper authorization checks that should be enforced for administrative operations. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their Drupal installations to identify similar vulnerabilities in other modules that might be susceptible to the same class of attacks, as CSRF vulnerabilities often occur in web applications where session management and authentication validation are not properly implemented across all functional components.