Drupal Core Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability (CVE-2018-7602, Drupalgeddon 2 Sequel)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTDrupal Core 7.x and 8.x versions (prior to 7.59, 8.5.3, and 8.4.8)
Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit multiple attack vectors to execute arbitrary code and fully compromise the target Drupal site
Immediately upgrade Drupal Core to the patched versions (7.59, 8.5.3, 8.4.8, or higher)
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Upgrade your Drupal Core installation to the latest secure release using Composer or Drush.
# Upgrade Drupal 8.x core using Composer
composer update drupal/core --with-dependencies
# Upgrade Drupal 7.x core using Drush
drush pm-update drupal2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If patching cannot be applied immediately, configure your Web Application Firewall (WAF) or web server to block requests containing malicious render array payloads.
# Nginx configuration snippet to block potential exploit payloads
server {
listen 80;
server_name your-drupal-site.com;
# Block requests containing '#' or encoded '%23' with render array keys
if ($args ~* '(#|%23)(post_render|lazy_builder|theme|pre_render)') {
return 403;
}
}3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Scan your web server access logs to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability.
# Scan Apache and Nginx access logs for Drupalgeddon-related exploit patterns
grep -Ei '(#|%23)(post_render|exec|system|passthru|eval)' /var/log/nginx/access.log /var/log/apache2/access.log 2>/dev/nullBlock Exploits Instantly with Managed Virtual Patching Rules
Can't patch production immediately? Deploy managed WAF rules at the edge to intercept RCE, SQLi, and deserialization payloads before they hit your origin server.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2018-7602) is a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Drupal Core's Render API and Form API subsystems. It is a sequel to the highly critical SA-CORE-2018-002 (Drupalgeddon 2) vulnerability, arising from insufficient input validation and sanitization of render array parameters containing the '#' character during form processing and Ajax requests.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker targets endpoints that process forms or handle Ajax requests. By injecting malicious render array keys (such as '#post_render', '#lazy_builder', or '#pre_render') along with PHP callback functions (e.g., 'exec', 'system', 'passthru') into the HTTP request parameters, the attacker forces the Drupal rendering engine to execute the specified PHP functions with the privileges of the web server process.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and is listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Successful exploitation allows complete takeover of the underlying web server, enabling attackers to exfiltrate sensitive database contents, install persistent web shells, pivot into internal networks, or deploy ransomware, posing an extreme risk to business continuity.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
A remote code execution vulnerability exists within multiple subsystems of Drupal 7.x and 8.x. This potentially allows attackers to exploit multiple attack vectors on a Drupal site, which could result in the site being compromised. This vulnerability is related to Drupal core - Highly critical - Remote Code Execution - SA-CORE-2018-002. Both SA-CORE-2018-002 and this vulnerability are being exploited in the wild.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2018-7602)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2018-7602 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2018-7602 is rated CVSS 9.8 (CRITICAL) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 99.2%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2018-7602?
Primary impacted vendors include drupal across drupal_core. Scope summary: Drupal Core 7.x (prior to 7.59), 8.5.x (prior to 8.5.3), and 8.4.x (prior to 8.4.8)
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2018-7602 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately upgrade Drupal Core to the patched versions (7.59, 8.5.3, 8.4.8, or higher) Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
Generate an Internal Engineering Notice or CISO Report for CVE-2018-7602
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