CVE-2026-118583 in Field Permissions Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2026
Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in Drupal Field Permissions allows Forceful Browsing. This issue affects Field Permissions versions: from 0.0.0 to 1.6.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2026
The Drupal module known as Field Permissions contains a critical access control flaw that permits unauthorized users to bypass intended restrictions on content fields. This vulnerability, classified under the category of Incorrect Authorization, specifically enables forceful browsing attacks where an attacker can directly request URLs or API endpoints associated with field data without possessing the necessary permissions defined by site administrators. The issue stems from insufficient validation checks within the module's routing and access control logic, which fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has explicit permission to view or manipulate specific field configurations before granting access. This flaw affects Field Permissions versions ranging from 0.0.0 up through version 1.6.0, indicating a long-standing deficiency in how the module handles privilege escalation for content management tasks.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability arises because the application does not adequately enforce role-based or user-specific restrictions when processing requests related to field permissions. In a properly secured system, any attempt to access sensitive configuration data should trigger an authentication and authorization check that validates the current session against predefined security policies. However, in this case, the module allows direct URL manipulation to retrieve information about which fields are restricted for certain roles or users. This lack of server-side enforcement means that even if a user is not logged in or lacks administrative privileges, they can still infer sensitive site structure details by probing various field endpoints. The absence of robust input validation and session context verification creates an environment where attackers can map out the internal architecture of the Drupal installation without triggering standard security alerts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage. By exposing detailed information about which fields are restricted for specific user roles, attackers gain valuable intelligence that facilitates further exploitation attempts. This knowledge allows them to tailor subsequent attacks against other parts of the application that may have weaker defenses. For instance, if an attacker discovers that a particular field is only accessible to administrators, they might focus their efforts on compromising administrative accounts or exploiting related vulnerabilities in modules that interact with those fields. Furthermore, this information disclosure can aid in social engineering campaigns by revealing internal organizational structures and data handling practices embedded within the content model. The cumulative effect significantly increases the attack surface of any Drupal site running an affected version of Field Permissions.
This vulnerability aligns closely with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) ID 284, which describes Improper Access Control, as well as CWE-639 regarding Authorization Bypass Through Forceful Browsing. In terms of offensive security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, this behavior corresponds to techniques involving Discovery and Resource Development, where adversaries gather information about the target environment to plan more sophisticated intrusions. The ability to enumerate restricted resources without proper authorization is a classic indicator of weak access control mechanisms that fail to implement defense-in-depth principles effectively.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running Drupal sites with Field Permissions versions prior to 1.6.0 must upgrade immediately to version 1.6.1 or later where the issue has been resolved. Until an update can be applied, administrators should consider implementing web application firewall rules that monitor for unusual patterns of URL probing related to field permission endpoints. Additionally, reviewing server logs for repeated requests to unauthorized paths can help detect ongoing exploitation attempts. It is also advisable to conduct a thorough audit of all custom modules and configurations to ensure no other similar access control gaps exist within the broader Drupal ecosystem. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be integrated into the development lifecycle to identify such authorization flaws before they are exploited in production environments.