CVE-2026-81167 in Address Suggestion Module
Summary
by MITRE • 09/02/2026
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ("Cross-site Scripting") vulnerability in Drupal Address Suggestion allows Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). This issue affects Address Suggestion versions: from 0.0.0 to 1.0.25.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2026
The identified security flaw represents a classic instance of Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting or XSS. Specifically, this vulnerability resides within the Address Suggestion module for Drupal, affecting all versions from 0.0.0 through 1.0.25. The core technical deficiency lies in the application's failure to adequately sanitize or encode user-supplied input before it is rendered back into the web page context. When a user interacts with the address suggestion feature, typically by typing an address component such as a street name or city, the system processes this input and returns suggestions. However, if malicious scripts are embedded within these inputs, the application fails to strip out dangerous characters like angle brackets, quotes, or script tags before displaying them in the browser environment of other users who view the affected page.
This lack of proper output encoding allows an attacker to inject client-side code that executes in the context of a victim's web session. Because the vulnerability is located within a feature used for data entry and suggestion display, it can be triggered through various vectors depending on how the module integrates with other parts of the Drupal site. An attacker could craft a specially formatted address string containing JavaScript payloads. When this payload is stored in the database or processed dynamically by the server-side logic without proper validation, any subsequent user who loads the page where these suggestions are displayed will have their browser execute the injected script. This execution occurs under the trust relationship between the victim's browser and the Drupal site, effectively bypassing standard security controls like the Same-Origin Policy that normally restrict how scripts interact with content from different origins.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential for widespread exploitation in multi-user environments or public-facing websites. Successful exploitation allows attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, where stolen cookies and authentication tokens are transmitted to the attacker's server; credential harvesting via fake login forms injected into the page content; defacement of the website by altering DOM elements; and redirection of users to phishing sites designed to steal sensitive information. In enterprise environments running Drupal, this can lead to unauthorized access to administrative panels if an administrator views a compromised suggestion list, potentially leading to full site compromise. The persistence of such scripts also means that every user visiting the affected page becomes a potential victim without any direct interaction required beyond viewing the content.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Cross-site Scripting in Common Weakness Enumeration standards. It is further categorized under MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers JavaScript as an executable payload within the Execution category. The attack vector typically falls under TA0001 Initial Access or TA0005 Defense Evasion depending on whether it leads to immediate compromise or serves as a stepping stone for further exploitation. Understanding these mappings helps security teams prioritize remediation efforts based on established industry frameworks and threat intelligence models that track similar behavioral patterns in web application attacks.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate patching and long-term secure coding practices. The most effective solution is to upgrade the Address Suggestion module to version 1.0.26 or later, where developers have implemented proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Until an update can be applied, administrators should consider disabling the address suggestion feature if it is not critical for business operations. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall with rulesets tuned to detect XSS payloads in form submissions and URL parameters can provide a layer of defense against exploitation attempts. Developers must also adopt Content Security Policy headers that restrict script execution sources, thereby limiting the damage even if an injection succeeds by preventing inline scripts from running unless explicitly allowed through strict nonce or hash-based policies. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on data flow analysis are essential to prevent similar flaws in future development cycles.