CVE-2015-4370 in Site Documentation Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Site Documentation module before 6.x-1.5 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with certain permissions to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to taxonomy terms.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2019
The CVE-2015-4370 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Site Documentation module for Drupal version 6.x prior to 1.5. This vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess certain permissions within the Drupal system, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the module's handling of taxonomy terms, which are fundamental components used to organize and categorize content within Drupal websites.
The technical flaw manifests when authenticated users with appropriate permissions manipulate taxonomy terms through the Site Documentation module interface. The module fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code. This occurs because the system does not implement proper context-aware output escaping or input validation controls when processing taxonomy term data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous as it operates within the context of authenticated sessions, meaning that an attacker with valid credentials can leverage this flaw to compromise other users who view the affected content. The attack vector specifically involves taxonomy terms, which are commonly used throughout Drupal sites for content categorization, making this vulnerability pervasive across various site configurations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation. An attacker could craft malicious taxonomy terms that, when viewed by other users, would execute scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify content within the Drupal system. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of information within Drupal installations, potentially leading to complete system compromise if attackers can escalate privileges or gain access to administrative functions. The fact that this affects authenticated users with specific permissions means that organizations with proper access controls may still be vulnerable if their user management policies are not strictly enforced.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Drupal 6.x-1.5 or later versions of the Site Documentation module, which contain the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should review and tighten user permission assignments to ensure that only trusted individuals have access to taxonomy term management functions within the documentation module. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual activity related to taxonomy term creation or modification, and input validation should be strengthened at multiple layers of the application. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection and T1566 for credential access, making it a significant threat vector that requires immediate remediation to prevent potential exploitation by adversaries.