CVE-2015-4362 in Tracking Code Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in tracking_code.admin.inc in the Tracking Code module 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.6 for Drupal allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that disable tracking codes via unspecified vectors.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2022
The CVE-2015-4362 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Tracking Code module for Drupal version 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.6. This vulnerability resides in the tracking_code.admin.inc file and exposes administrators to significant security risks through unauthorized manipulation of tracking code configurations. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the administrative interface by crafting malicious requests that can disable tracking codes without proper authentication verification. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative functionality of the module, making it particularly dangerous as it directly impacts the ability of system administrators to manage tracking configurations. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that attackers can leverage various methods to construct valid CSRF payloads that appear legitimate to the Drupal administration interface.
From a technical perspective, this CSRF vulnerability operates by exploiting the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the administrative forms and actions of the Tracking Code module. When administrators perform actions such as disabling tracking codes, the module should validate that requests originate from authenticated administrative sessions with proper authorization tokens. However, the vulnerable implementation fails to enforce this validation mechanism, allowing attackers to construct malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by authenticated administrators, automatically submit requests to disable tracking codes. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code disabling as it can potentially disrupt website analytics, monitoring systems, and tracking functionalities that rely on these codes. This represents a classic CSRF attack pattern where the attacker leverages the administrator's browser session to execute unauthorized administrative actions without requiring credentials.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-4362 is substantial for organizations relying on Drupal's Tracking Code module for web analytics and monitoring purposes. When exploited, this vulnerability can lead to complete disruption of tracking systems, potentially causing loss of critical analytics data and monitoring capabilities. Attackers can disable tracking codes at will, which may result in incomplete or missing data collection, affecting business intelligence, user behavior analysis, and performance monitoring. The vulnerability particularly affects websites where tracking codes are essential for marketing analytics, user experience optimization, and system monitoring. Organizations may face challenges in maintaining accurate data reporting and could experience operational disruptions when tracking systems are compromised. The remote nature of the attack means that administrators are vulnerable even when they are not actively using the system, as simply visiting malicious content could trigger unauthorized actions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. This classification emphasizes the fundamental flaw in the application's failure to validate the origin of requests, particularly those involving administrative functions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and unauthorized access to administrative interfaces. The attack chain typically involves initial reconnaissance to identify vulnerable Drupal installations, followed by crafting of malicious payloads that exploit the CSRF weakness to disable tracking codes. Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense including proper input validation, CSRF token implementation, and regular security updates. The recommended mitigations include immediate patching to version 7.x-1.6 or later, implementation of additional authentication checks, and monitoring for unauthorized administrative actions. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other modules and components of the Drupal platform.