CVE-2026-87950 in Drupal
Summary
by MITRE • 10/22/2026
Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability in Drupal SAML SSO - Service Provider allows Retrieve Embedded Sensitive Data. This issue affects SAML SSO - Service Provider versions: from 0.0.0 to 3.2.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2026
The Drupal module for SAML Single Sign-On, specifically the Service Provider component, contains a critical security flaw classified as CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials. This vulnerability arises because sensitive authentication data or configuration parameters are embedded directly within the source code rather than being stored in secure, externalized configuration files that respect proper access controls. In versions ranging from 0.0.0 to 3.2.0, this architectural decision exposes internal secrets such as private keys, passwords, or service account tokens to any user with read access to the module's PHP source files on the web server. The presence of these hard-coded values fundamentally undermines the principle of least privilege and creates a persistent attack surface that does not rotate automatically upon deployment changes.
From an operational perspective, this flaw allows attackers who have gained low-level file system access or can exploit other vulnerabilities like Local File Inclusion to retrieve embedded sensitive data. Once obtained, these credentials enable unauthorized authentication as any user configured in the SAML setup, effectively bypassing multi-factor authentication and identity verification mechanisms provided by the Identity Provider. This capability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1528: Steal Application Access Token, where adversaries leverage stolen secrets to impersonate legitimate services or users within the federated identity ecosystem. The impact is severe because SAML tokens are often used for high-privilege administrative access and integration with downstream enterprise systems, meaning compromise of these credentials can lead to full account takeover and lateral movement across connected platforms.
The root cause lies in the development practice of embedding configuration directly into code files such as settings.php or specific module initialization scripts without adequate obfuscation or encryption. This approach fails to adhere to industry standards for secret management which dictate that secrets must be stored separately from application logic, ideally within environment variables managed by a dedicated vault service or secure operating system mechanisms with restricted file permissions. The lack of dynamic configuration loading means that even if the web server's document root is secured against direct script execution, read access via directory listing or other information disclosure vulnerabilities can expose these plaintext secrets to unauthorized parties.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through upgrading to a patched version of the SAML SSO module where this issue has been resolved by externalizing all sensitive configuration parameters. Administrators should audit their current deployment for any remaining hard-coded credentials and migrate them to secure storage solutions such as HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or encrypted environment variables that are not accessible via standard web requests. Additionally, implementing strict file permission controls on the Drupal root directory is essential to prevent unauthorized read access even if other vulnerabilities exist. Regular security audits focusing on CWE-798 patterns in custom modules and third-party integrations will help maintain a robust posture against credential theft attacks targeting federated identity systems.