CVE-2015-5509 in Administration Views Module
Summary
by MITRE
The Administration Views module 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.4 for Drupal, when used with other unspecified modules, does not properly grant access to administration pages, which allows remote administrators to bypass intended restrictions via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5509 affects the Administration Views module version 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.4 within the Drupal content management system ecosystem. This flaw represents a critical access control issue that undermines the security posture of Drupal installations relying on this module for administrative interface management. The vulnerability specifically targets the module's handling of access permissions and authentication mechanisms, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to administrative resources that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only.
The technical implementation flaw within the Administration Views module stems from inadequate permission validation and access control enforcement during the rendering of administrative pages. When integrated with other unspecified Drupal modules, the module fails to properly verify user privileges before granting access to sensitive administrative functions. This weakness manifests through unspecified vectors that exploit the module's failure to adequately authenticate or authorize administrative requests, allowing malicious actors to bypass intended access restrictions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it potentially enables full administrative control over affected Drupal installations, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on Drupal for critical web applications.
The operational implications of CVE-2015-5509 are severe and multifaceted, as it creates an attack vector that could lead to complete system compromise when exploited by remote administrators. An attacker leveraging this vulnerability could gain access to sensitive administrative functions including user management, content modification, module configuration, and system settings. This access would enable data exfiltration, service disruption, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and could be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access, as it allows unauthorized access to administrative privileges through compromised administrative interfaces.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies focusing on both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening. The primary recommendation involves upgrading the Administration Views module to version 7.x-1.4 or later, which contains the necessary security patches addressing the access control bypass issue. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough access control reviews and implement network segmentation to limit exposure of administrative interfaces. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous administrative access patterns, while regular security audits should verify proper module configurations and access control settings. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping all Drupal modules updated and maintaining robust security practices, particularly around administrative interfaces that serve as primary attack targets for malicious actors seeking system compromise.