CVE-2026-81166 in Digital Signage Framework
Summary
by MITRE • 09/02/2026
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Drupal Digital Signage Framework allows Forceful Browsing. This issue affects Digital Signage Framework versions: from 0.0.0 to 2.6.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2026
The identified security flaw within the Drupal Digital Signage Framework represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms, specifically categorized under CWE-862 as Missing Authorization. This vulnerability exists across all iterations of the module from version 0.0.0 through 2.6.1, indicating that the issue has persisted for an extended period without adequate remediation by the maintainers or users who have failed to apply available patches. The core technical deficiency lies in the framework's inability to properly verify whether a requesting user possesses the necessary privileges to access specific administrative functions or sensitive data endpoints. In a typical web application architecture, authorization checks must be enforced at every entry point where state-changing operations or confidential information retrieval occurs. However, in this instance, the Digital Signage Framework fails to implement these mandatory verification steps for certain API routes and administrative pages. Consequently, the system relies implicitly on the assumption that users will not attempt to access restricted areas, rather than actively enforcing restrictions through server-side logic.
This architectural oversight directly facilitates forceful browsing attacks, a technique often associated with CWE-602 in contexts where client-side controls are bypassed or ignored by attackers who interact directly with backend services. An adversary can exploit this weakness by manually crafting HTTP requests to endpoints that should be restricted to authenticated administrators or specific roles. Because the server does not validate the session token or user role against the required permissions for these actions, it processes the request as if it originated from an authorized entity. This allows unauthenticated attackers or low-privilege users to view sensitive configuration data, modify digital signage content without authorization, or potentially execute further attacks that leverage administrative capabilities. The impact is severe because digital signage systems often control public-facing displays in corporate lobbies, retail stores, and transportation hubs; compromising these can lead to reputational damage, dissemination of malicious messages, or the use of compromised devices as pivot points for broader network intrusions.
From a tactical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078, Valid Accounts, particularly when combined with privilege escalation scenarios where an attacker uses stolen low-level credentials to access high-value resources due to poor authorization checks. It also relates to T1529, System Shutdown or Reboot, if the exposed functionality allows for system control commands that are not properly gated by role-based permissions. The operational impact extends beyond simple data leakage; it undermines the integrity of the digital signage infrastructure. Attackers can deface public displays with inappropriate content, disrupt business operations by altering scheduled media playback, or exfiltrate sensitive internal information displayed on screens within secure facilities. Furthermore, if the framework interacts with other systems via APIs that are also unprotected due to this same authorization gap, the blast radius of a single successful exploit could expand significantly across the organization's IT ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through software updates and rigorous access control implementation. The primary recommendation is to upgrade the Drupal Digital Signage Framework to version 2.6.2 or any subsequent release that explicitly addresses this authorization flaw in its changelog. For organizations unable to update immediately due to compatibility constraints, a compensating control involves implementing strict web application firewall rules that restrict access to administrative endpoints based on IP whitelisting and require additional authentication factors for sensitive operations. Additionally, developers should conduct a thorough code review focusing on all public-facing functions within the module to ensure that every endpoint performs explicit authorization checks against the current user's role permissions before executing any logic. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on broken access control vulnerabilities are essential to detect similar gaps in other modules or custom integrations associated with the digital signage infrastructure, ensuring a defense-in-depth approach to securing public-facing web applications.