CVE-2015-8233 in Theme
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the MAYO theme 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.4 and 7.x-2.x before 7.x-2.6 for Drupal allows remote administrators with the "Administer themes" permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors related to theme settings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2018
The CVE-2015-8233 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the MAYO theme for Drupal platforms, affecting versions 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.4 and 7.x-2.x prior to 7.x-2.6. This vulnerability specifically targets remote administrators who possess the "Administer themes" permission, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited to compromise user sessions and execute malicious code within the context of affected websites. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the theme settings configuration interface, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML content that persists in the application's user interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is improperly integrated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. This particular implementation flaw exists in the theme settings management functionality where user-supplied input from administrators is not adequately sanitized before being rendered back to users. The vulnerability operates through unspecified vectors related to theme settings, suggesting that the flaw could manifest in various configuration parameters within the MAYO theme's administrative interface, potentially including CSS definitions, JavaScript configurations, or other customizable elements that are processed and displayed within the web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS exploitation, as it enables attackers to leverage the elevated privileges of administrators to compromise entire web applications. Remote attackers with the "Administer themes" permission can inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the compromised web application. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector where malicious code injected by an administrator can affect all users who view the affected theme settings, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where theme customization is frequently performed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8233 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Drupal installations to versions 7.x-1.4 or 7.x-2.6, respectively, which contain the necessary security fixes for the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should also implement strict access controls to limit the number of users with "Administer themes" permissions, following the principle of least privilege. Additional defensive measures include implementing content security policies to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, regular security auditing of theme configurations, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script injection, where the attack vector involves injecting malicious code through legitimate administrative interfaces rather than traditional network-based attacks.