- Threat: Remote Code Execution (RCE)
- Description: An attacker exploits a vulnerability within Drupal core code itself to inject and execute arbitrary code on the server. This is a direct flaw in core's programming logic, potentially in input handling, deserialization, or bundled libraries. Exploitation allows the attacker to run commands on the server, effectively taking control.
- Impact: Full server compromise, complete control over the website and server infrastructure, data breach, website defacement, malware distribution, denial of service.
- Affected Core Component:
- Input handling functions within core
- Serialization/Deserialization mechanisms in core
- Image processing libraries bundled with core (if vulnerable)
- File upload mechanisms managed by core
- Core modules handling external data (e.g., Migrate API in core, if vulnerable)
- Risk Severity: Critical
- Mitigation Strategies:
- Immediately apply Drupal core security updates: Prioritize patching core vulnerabilities as soon as security releases are available.
- Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF can detect and block exploit attempts targeting known RCE vulnerabilities in core.
- Follow secure coding practices in custom/contrib code: While this threat is core-based, minimizing attack surface in general is good practice.
- Regular Security Audits: While less directly applicable to your code for core vulnerabilities, audits can help ensure overall security posture and identify misconfigurations that might exacerbate core issues.
Threat: SQL Injection - Critical
- Threat: SQL Injection
- Description: An attacker injects malicious SQL code into database queries generated by Drupal core. This is due to flaws in core's database abstraction layer or in core modules that construct SQL queries. Exploitation allows the attacker to manipulate the database directly.
- Impact: Data breach (access to sensitive user data, configuration data stored in the database), data manipulation (modification or deletion of database records), website defacement, potential for privilege escalation if database user permissions are misconfigured, denial of service.
- Affected Core Component:
- Database Abstraction Layer (Database API) within core
- Core modules that build and execute database queries (e.g., Views in core, core search functionality, node access modules within core)
- Risk Severity: Critical
- Mitigation Strategies:
- Keep Drupal core up-to-date: Security updates frequently address SQL injection vulnerabilities in core.
- Rely on Drupal's Database API: Developers using core APIs correctly are generally protected. The issue is when core itself has flaws. Ensure your custom/contrib code also uses the API correctly, but the primary mitigation here is patching core.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF can detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting core vulnerabilities.
- Principle of Least Privilege (Database): While not directly preventing core SQLi, limiting database user privileges reduces the impact if an SQLi is exploited.
- Threat: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- Description: An attacker injects malicious JavaScript code into web pages served by Drupal core. This is due to insufficient output encoding or flawed input handling within core. The injected script executes in users' browsers when they view the page.
- Impact: Account compromise (session hijacking, cookie theft), website defacement, redirection to malicious sites, information theft, phishing attacks targeting users of the Drupal site.
- Affected Core Component:
- Output rendering system of core (Theme system, Twig templating engine if core's usage is flawed)
- Input handling and sanitization functions within core (if they fail)
- Form API if core's implementation has flaws leading to XSS
- Core modules displaying user-generated content (e.g., comments in core, forum modules in core, user profiles in core) if core's handling of this data is vulnerable.
- Risk Severity: High
- Mitigation Strategies:
- Apply Drupal core security updates: Core updates often fix XSS vulnerabilities.
- Content Security Policy (CSP): Implement a strong CSP. While CSP doesn't prevent XSS in core, it significantly reduces the impact by limiting what malicious scripts can do.
- Ensure correct usage of Drupal's theming and rendering system in custom/contrib code: While the threat is core XSS, reinforcing good practices in your own code is always beneficial.
- Regular Security Audits: Audits can help identify if core vulnerabilities are present and if custom/contrib code might be introducing or exacerbating XSS risks.
Threat: Access Bypass - High
- Threat: Access Bypass
- Description: An attacker exploits vulnerabilities in Drupal core's access control mechanisms to gain unauthorized access to restricted content or functionality. This is a direct flaw in core's permission checking logic, role-based access control, or session management.
- Impact: Unauthorized access to sensitive data, privilege escalation (potentially gaining administrative privileges), website administration takeover, data manipulation, website defacement.
- Affected Core Component:
- User and Role system within core
- Permission system of core
- Node access system in core
- Menu access system in core
- Form access control provided by core
- Session management handled by core
- Risk Severity: High
- Mitigation Strategies:
- Promptly apply Drupal core security updates: Access bypass vulnerabilities are frequently addressed in security releases.
- Carefully review and configure core permissions: While the vulnerability is in core, proper permission configuration is still essential to limit the scope of damage if a bypass is exploited.
- Implement strong authentication mechanisms: Use strong passwords and consider multi-factor authentication. While not directly preventing core access bypasses, they add layers of security.
- Monitor user activity: Monitor logs for suspicious activity that might indicate access bypass attempts.