CVE-2015-4363 in Finder Module
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in the finder_form_goto function in the Finder module for Drupal allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2019
The CVE-2015-4363 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw within the Drupal content management system's Finder module, specifically affecting the finder_form_goto function. This vulnerability resides in the web application's input validation mechanisms and demonstrates how seemingly innocuous functionality can be exploited to facilitate sophisticated social engineering attacks. The issue stems from inadequate sanitization of user-provided input parameters that are used to construct redirect URLs, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the application's navigation behavior. Such vulnerabilities typically arise when applications fail to properly validate or encode user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic URL construction processes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing a redirect parameter that points to a malicious domain. When a victim clicks on such a link, the Drupal application processes the input through the vulnerable finder_form_goto function without proper validation, resulting in an automatic redirection to the attacker-controlled website. This opens the door for various attack vectors including credential harvesting phishing campaigns, malware distribution, and reputation damage through malicious content delivery. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that Drupal installations often serve as legitimate web platforms where users trust the domain, making the phishing attacks more convincing and effective.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Drupal platforms, particularly those with extensive user engagement or sensitive data handling capabilities. The open redirect vulnerability can be leveraged in targeted phishing campaigns where attackers craft convincing URLs that appear to originate from legitimate Drupal sites, thereby bypassing user suspicion and security awareness training. The attack surface extends beyond simple redirection as it can be combined with other techniques such as cross-site scripting or session hijacking to create more sophisticated attack chains. Organizations may experience reputational damage, potential data breaches, and increased security incident response costs when such vulnerabilities are exploited successfully.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including immediate patching of affected Drupal installations, implementing strict input validation for all redirect parameters, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious redirect attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 open redirect weakness classification, which specifically addresses the risk of redirecting users to untrusted domains without proper validation. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including initial access through phishing and credential access through social engineering. Organizations should also consider implementing URL sanitization policies, regular security assessments, and user education programs to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. The remediation process requires careful attention to ensure that all redirect functionality within the application maintains proper validation while preserving legitimate user experience.