CVE-2015-7229 in Twitter Module
Summary
by MITRE
The Twitter module 6.x-5.x before 6.x-5.2, 7.x-5.x before 7.x-5.9, and 7.x-6.x before 7.x-6.0 for Drupal does not properly check access permissions, which allows remote authenticated users to post tweets to arbitrary accounts by leveraging the (1) "post to twitter" permission or change the options for arbitrary attached accounts by leveraging the (2) "add twitter accounts" or (3) "add authenticated twitter accounts" permission.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7229 affects the Twitter module within Drupal content management systems across multiple version branches including 6.x-5.x before 6.x-5.2, 7.x-5.x before 7.x-5.9, and 7.x-6.x before 7.x-6.0. This security flaw represents a critical access control bypass that undermines the fundamental security model of the Drupal platform. The issue stems from inadequate permission validation mechanisms within the Twitter integration module, creating a scenario where authenticated users can exploit specific permissions to perform unauthorized actions on Twitter accounts that they should not have access to. The vulnerability specifically targets the module's failure to properly validate user permissions when processing Twitter posting and account management operations.
The technical flaw manifests through three distinct permission-based attack vectors that collectively enable unauthorized access to Twitter account functionality. The first vector involves the "post to twitter" permission where authenticated users can leverage this privilege to post tweets to accounts that belong to other users. The second and third vectors relate to the "add twitter accounts" and "add authenticated twitter accounts" permissions respectively, which allow attackers to modify configuration options for Twitter accounts that are not owned by the authenticated user. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks where the module fails to verify that the user attempting to perform actions on Twitter accounts has legitimate ownership or administrative rights over those specific accounts. The vulnerability essentially allows privilege escalation through the manipulation of legitimate module permissions without proper cross-account validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized tweet posting to encompass broader account management capabilities that could lead to significant reputational and security consequences. Attackers with access to the Drupal platform could potentially post malicious content to legitimate Twitter accounts, manipulate account settings, or even gain access to sensitive account information through the configuration changes they can make. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on social media integration within their Drupal platforms, as it creates a pathway for attackers to compromise not only the Drupal site but also associated Twitter accounts that may contain sensitive organizational information or serve as primary communication channels. The vulnerability also impacts the overall security posture of Drupal installations by demonstrating the potential for cross-module privilege escalation attacks.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the "Permission Groups" and "Account Manipulation" tactics. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched versions of the Twitter module, reviewing and restricting the permissions associated with the affected module, and conducting comprehensive access control reviews. The recommended remediation strategy involves not only applying the security patches released by the Drupal security team but also implementing additional monitoring of Twitter account activities within the Drupal platform to detect any unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access control policies that limit which users can access the Twitter module functionality to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.