CVE-2013-2198
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Drupal's Login Security module allows attackers to bypass authentication restrictions by using specially crafted usernames. It affects Drupal sites running vulnerable versions of the Login Security module, potentially allowing unauthorized access to protected areas.
💻 Affected Systems
- Drupal Login Security module
📦 What is this software?
Login Security by Login Security Project
Login Security by Login Security Project
Login Security by Login Security Project
Login Security by Login Security Project
Login Security by Login Security Project
Login Security by Login Security Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain administrative access to Drupal sites, leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or site defacement.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users bypass login restrictions to access protected content or user accounts they shouldn't have access to.
If Mitigated
With proper patching, the vulnerability is eliminated; with workarounds, risk is reduced but not completely removed.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting specific usernames to bypass restrictions.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.x-1.3 or 7.x-1.3
Vendor Advisory: https://drupal.org/node/2023503
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Login Security module to version 6.x-1.3 or 7.x-1.3 via Drupal's update manager or manually. 2. Clear Drupal cache. 3. Verify module version in reports.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Login Security Module
linuxTemporarily disable the vulnerable module until patching is possible
drush pm-disable login_security
Implement Additional Authentication Controls
allAdd extra authentication layers or IP restrictions to login pages
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall rules to block suspicious login attempts
- Monitor authentication logs for unusual username patterns or bypass attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Login Security module version in Drupal's module list or via 'drush pm-list | grep login_security'Check Version:
drush pmi login_security | grep VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm module version is 6.x-1.3 or higher for Drupal 6, or 7.x-1.3 or higher for Drupal 7📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual login attempts with crafted usernames
- Successful logins from unexpected usernames bypassing restrictions
Network Indicators:
- Multiple authentication attempts with varying username formats
- Traffic patterns suggesting authentication bypass testing
SIEM Query:
source="drupal" (event_type="user_login" AND username MATCHES "*[special_chars]*")🔗 References
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/06/20/3
- https://drupal.org/node/2023503
- https://drupal.org/node/2023507
- https://drupal.org/node/2023585
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/06/20/3
- https://drupal.org/node/2023503
- https://drupal.org/node/2023507
- https://drupal.org/node/2023585
