CVE-2015-5514 in Migrate Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Migrate module 7.x-2.x before 7.x-2.8 for Drupal, when the migrate_ui submodule is enabled, allows user-assisted remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a destination field label.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2018
The CVE-2015-5514 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Drupal Migrate module version 7.x-2.x prior to 7.x-2.8. This vulnerability specifically affects installations where the migrate_ui submodule is enabled, creating a dangerous attack vector that enables remote adversaries to execute malicious scripts in the context of affected user sessions. The flaw resides in how the module handles destination field labels, which are used during data migration operations to map source data to destination fields within Drupal's content management system. When users interact with the migrate interface and encounter destination field labels, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-provided input, allowing attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through user-assisted remote attacks where an attacker crafts malicious input containing script tags or other HTML elements within the destination field label parameters. When the vulnerable migrate_ui module processes these labels, it fails to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, resulting in the execution of injected scripts when legitimate users view the migration interface. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. The attack chain typically involves an attacker modifying migration configuration data or manipulating user input that gets rendered in the destination field labels, then persuading a victim to navigate to the affected migration interface where the malicious code executes in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5514 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, redirection to malicious sites, and privilege escalation within the Drupal environment. Since the vulnerability affects the migrate_ui submodule, it impacts administrative functions where users with appropriate permissions might be tricked into viewing maliciously crafted labels during migration operations. This creates a significant risk for organizations using Drupal with active migration workflows, as the attack requires minimal privileges to set up and can potentially compromise user sessions and access to sensitive data. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers scripting through web shells and malicious web content injection.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Drupal Migrate module version 7.x-2.8 or later, which contains proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms for destination field labels. Additionally, administrators should review and restrict access to the migrate_ui submodule to trusted users only, implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, and conduct regular security audits of migration configurations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where user-provided data is rendered without proper sanitization. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual migration activities and malformed input patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads targeting this specific vulnerability class.