[Security-news] SA-CONTRIB-2012-040 - CKEditor and FCKeditor - multiple XSS, arbitrary code execution

[security-news at drupal.org]

  * Advisory ID: DRUPAL-SA-CONTRIB-2012-040
  * Project: CKEditor [1], FCKeditor [2] - WYSIWYG HTML editor (third-party
    module)
  * Version: 6.x, 7.x
  * Date: 2012-March-14
  * Security risk: Highly critical [3]
  * Exploitable from: Remote
  * Vulnerability: Cross Site Scripting, Cross Site Request Forgery, Arbitrary
    PHP code execution

-------- DESCRIPTION  
---------------------------------------------------------

CKEditor and its predecessor FCKeditor allow Drupal to replace textarea
fields with the (F)CKEditor - a visual HTML WYSIWYG editor.

The modules have an AJAX callback that filters text to prevent Cross site
scripting attacks on content edits. This AJAX callback function contains a
number of bugs which allow attackers to chose which filter to execute on
chosen text or bypass the filter entirely.

The vulnerability can be used to conduct Cross site scripting (XSS) attacks
on privileged users. Attackers can also execute arbitrary PHP code if the
core PHP module is enabled. This can happen either directly or by enticing a
privileged user to visit a page.

Direct execution of PHP code requires that the attacker has the following
privileges:

"access fckeditor" for FCKeditor 6.x
"access ckeditor" for CKEditor 6.x

No additional permissions are required to directly exploit the PHP code
execution flaw on CKEditor 7.x.

-------- VERSIONS AFFECTED  
---------------------------------------------------

  * FCKeditor 6.x-2.x versions prior to 6.x-2.3.
  * CKEditor 6.x-1.x versions prior to 6.x-1.9.
  * CKEditor 7.x-1.x versions prior to 7.x-1.7.

Drupal core is not affected. If you do not use the contributed CKEditor -
WYSIWYG HTML editor [4] module, there is nothing you need to do.

-------- SOLUTION  
------------------------------------------------------------

Install the latest version:

  * If you use the FCKeditor module for Drupal 6.x, upgrade to FCKeditor
    6.x-2.3 [5].
  * If you use the CKEditor module for Drupal 6.x, upgrade to CKEditor 6.x-1.9
    [6].
  * If you use the CKEditor module for Drupal 7.x, upgrade to CKEditor 7.x-1.7
    [7].

See also the CKEditor - WYSIWYG HTML editor [8] project page.

-------- REPORTED BY  
---------------------------------------------------------

  * Heine Deelstra [9] of the Drupal Security Team

-------- FIXED BY  
------------------------------------------------------------

  * Wiktor Walc [10] the module maintainer

-------- CONTACT AND MORE INFORMATION  
----------------------------------------

The Drupal security team can be reached at security at drupal.org or via the
contact form at http://drupal.org/contact [11].

Learn more about the Drupal Security team and their policies [12], writing
secure code for Drupal [13], and securing your site [14].


[1] http://drupal.org/project/ckeditor
[2] http://drupal.org/project/fckeditor
[3] http://drupal.org/security-team/risk-levels
[4] http://drupal.org/project/ckeditor
[5] http://drupal.org/node/1482442
[6] http://drupal.org/node/1482480
[7] http://drupal.org/node/1482466
[8] http://drupal.org/project/ckeditor
[9] http://drupal.org/user/17943
[10] http://drupal.org/user/184556
[11] http://drupal.org/contact
[12] http://drupal.org/security-team
[13] http://drupal.org/writing-secure-code
[14] http://drupal.org/security/secure-configuration