CVE-2015-5508 in Drupal Toolkit
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the XC NCIP Provider module in the eXtensible Catalog (XC) Drupal Toolkit allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of users with the "administer ncip providers" permission for requests that alter NCIP providers via a crafted request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2017
The CVE-2015-5508 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the XC NCIP Provider module of the eXtensible Catalog Drupal Toolkit. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanisms of Drupal-based systems and exploits the lack of proper CSRF protection in administrative functions. The issue arises from the module's failure to implement adequate token validation for requests that modify NCIP provider configurations, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate system settings through forged requests.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious request that leverages a victim administrator's authenticated session. The XC NCIP Provider module, designed to facilitate integration with National Library of Medicine's NCIP (NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol) systems, lacks proper CSRF token verification mechanisms. This allows unauthorized modifications to NCIP provider configurations, potentially enabling attackers to add malicious providers, alter existing configurations, or disrupt library catalog systems. The vulnerability specifically affects users possessing the "administer ncip providers" permission, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is limited to trusted personnel.
From an operational impact perspective, this CSRF vulnerability presents significant risks to library management systems and institutional data integrity. Attackers could potentially compromise the entire NCIP provider infrastructure by injecting malicious configurations that redirect requests to unauthorized servers or modify authentication parameters. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where administrators are tricked into visiting malicious websites containing embedded CSRF payloads. This could result in unauthorized system modifications, data exposure, or potential service disruption for legitimate library users who depend on accurate catalog information. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple configuration changes as it could enable further attacks through compromised provider integrations.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected XC Toolkit versions and ensuring all Drupal installations maintain current security updates. The implementation of proper CSRF token validation mechanisms represents the primary technical mitigation, requiring the addition of unique, time-limited tokens for each administrative request. Security configurations should include strict session management practices and regular monitoring of administrative activities. According to CWE guidelines, this vulnerability maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues, while ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, highlighting the importance of securing web application interfaces. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their Drupal modules and implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The remediation process must include comprehensive testing to ensure that the CSRF protections do not inadvertently break legitimate administrative functionality while maintaining robust security controls.