CVE-2015-5507 in Inline Entity Form Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Inline Entity Form module 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.6 for Drupal allows remote authenticated users with permission to create or edit fields to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2017
The CVE-2015-5507 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Inline Entity Form module for Drupal versions 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.6. This vulnerability specifically targets the web application framework's content management capabilities, where the flaw exists in how the module processes user input when creating or editing fields within the Drupal administrative interface. The vulnerability's classification as a remote authenticated XSS means that attackers must possess valid user credentials with sufficient permissions to exploit the flaw, but they can execute malicious scripts against other users who interact with the compromised system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output encoding within the Inline Entity Form module's field handling mechanisms. When authenticated users with appropriate permissions attempt to create or modify fields through the module's interface, the system fails to properly validate or escape user-supplied data before rendering it back to other users. This allows attackers to inject malicious HTML and JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected content. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple input points within the module's field processing logic could serve as attack surfaces, making the vulnerability particularly concerning for comprehensive exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, privilege escalation, and redirection to malicious websites. When exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the content management system's behavior and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data or administrative functions. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers need to first compromise a valid user account, but once achieved, they can leverage this vulnerability to affect other system users who may not have elevated privileges. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators or content creators interact with the system, as a single compromised account could lead to widespread impact.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5507 primarily focus on immediate patching of the affected Drupal module to version 7.x-1.6 or later, which contains the necessary input validation and sanitization fixes. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed modules, strict input validation policies, and comprehensive user permission reviews to minimize the attack surface. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities, while maintaining regular monitoring for any suspicious activities related to field creation or editing functions within the Drupal system.