CVE-2024-55638 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE • 12/10/2024
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Drupal Core allows Object Injection.This issue affects Drupal Core: from 7.0 before 7.102, from 8.0.0 before 10.2.11, from 10.3.0 before 10.3.9.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-55638 represents a critical deserialization flaw in Drupal Core that enables object injection attacks through untrusted data processing. This weakness falls under the category of CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data, which is a well-documented security concern where applications deserialize data without proper validation, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code or manipulate application behavior. The vulnerability specifically impacts multiple Drupal version ranges, including the widely used Drupal 7 series from version 7.0 through 7.101 and the Drupal 8 and 10 series from their initial releases up to 10.2.10 and 10.3.8 respectively, making it a significant concern for organizations maintaining legacy systems.
The technical flaw manifests when Drupal processes serialized data from untrusted sources without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. Attackers can craft malicious serialized objects that, when deserialized by the vulnerable Drupal application, execute unintended operations within the application context. This deserialization process typically occurs when the application receives data through various input vectors such as form submissions, API endpoints, or configuration parameters that are subsequently processed through PHP's unserialize function. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious objects that can manipulate the application's execution flow, potentially leading to complete system compromise or data exfiltration. The attack surface is particularly concerning because Drupal's architecture frequently handles serialized data for various functions including user sessions, configuration storage, and module state management.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-55638 extends far beyond simple data corruption or service disruption. Organizations running affected Drupal versions face potential complete system compromise, unauthorized access to sensitive data, and the ability to execute arbitrary commands on the affected servers. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 Phishing with Malicious Attachments and T1059.001 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage the deserialization flaw to establish persistent access and execute malicious payloads. The vulnerability's exploitation can result in unauthorized administrative access, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within network environments where Drupal systems are deployed. Given Drupal's widespread adoption across content management systems, e-commerce platforms, and enterprise applications, the potential for cascading security incidents is significant, particularly in environments where multiple Drupal instances exist or where the application is integrated with other systems.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to patched Drupal versions, specifically Drupal 7.102, Drupal 10.2.11, and Drupal 10.3.9, which contain the necessary security fixes to prevent object injection attacks. Additional mitigations include implementing proper input validation for all serialized data, disabling unnecessary serialization functionality, and monitoring application logs for suspicious deserialization patterns. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection while patches are deployed. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper data validation in application frameworks, particularly in systems that handle user-provided data through serialization mechanisms. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of their Drupal deployments to identify any custom modules or configurations that might be vulnerable to similar deserialization patterns, ensuring that all components adhere to secure development practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines.