CVE-2018-7602
CVE-2018-7602 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Drupal with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-04-13). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-94.
Key facts
- Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
- CVSS v2: 7.5
- EPSS exploit prediction: 99% (100th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-04-13)
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2024-1058
- EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-04-13)
- Weakness: CWE-94
- Affected product: Drupal
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
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.
CVE-2018-7602: Drupal Core Remote Code Execution
AI-generated analysis based on the vulnerability data on this page.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| CVE ID | CVE-2018-7602 |
| CVSS v3 | 9.8 Critical |
| CVSS v2 | 7.5 |
| EPSS | 0.99236 (99.93rd percentile) |
| KEV | Yes (since 2022-04-13) |
| CWE | CWE-94 |
| Affected | Drupal 7.x, 8.4.x, 8.5.x; Debian 7/8/9 |
Summary
Remote code execution vulnerability in Drupal 7.x and 8.x core allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise sites via multiple attack vectors. This vulnerability is related to SA-CORE-2018-002 and is being actively exploited in the wild.
Background
Drupal is a widely deployed open-source content management system. In March 2018, Drupal released SA-CORE-2018-002 to address a critical remote code execution flaw. Shortly thereafter, CVE-2018-7602 was disclosed as an additional vulnerability with related attack vectors that was also being actively exploited against unpatched Drupal sites.
Root Cause
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code. Multiple subsystems within Drupal core failed to adequately sanitize user-supplied input, allowing malicious data to reach the PHP runtime and be executed. This lack of proper input validation created an injection surface that unauthenticated remote attackers could reach through standard HTTP requests.
Impact
The vulnerability is rated Critical with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). An attacker with no privileges and no user interaction can exploit the flaw over the network with low complexity. Successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of the Drupal host, with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Exploitation Walkthrough
Attackers typically send crafted HTTP requests to vulnerable Drupal endpoints. By manipulating parameters processed by multiple Drupal subsystems, an attacker can inject PHP code that the server executes. This section is provided for defensive awareness only; no weaponized exploit code is included. Organizations should treat all public-facing Drupal instances as high-risk if unpatched.
Affected and Patched Versions
- Drupal core 7.x — versions before 7.59
- Drupal core 8.4.x — versions before 8.4.8
- Drupal core 8.5.x — versions before 8.5.3
- Debian Linux — 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 (via affected Drupal packages)
Remediation
- Upgrade immediately to Drupal 7.59 or later, 8.4.8 or later, or 8.5.3 or later.
- Apply the vendor patch from SA-CORE-2018-004.
- Compensating controls:
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules for known Drupal RCE patterns.
- Restrict network access to Drupal administrative interfaces.
- Disable unnecessary modules and services.
- Monitor for anomalous file writes and PHP execution.
Detection
- Monitor web server logs for suspicious
POSTrequests to Drupal endpoints. - Scan for unexpected PHP files in web-accessible directories.
- Alert on creation of unauthorized admin accounts or modified content.
- Use vulnerability scanners to identify unpatched Drupal instances.
Assessment
CVE-2018-7602 carries an EPSS score of 0.99236 (99.93rd percentile), indicating an extremely high probability of active exploitation. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog as of 2022-04-13. Two key lessons emerge: (1) critical patches for internet-facing content management systems must be applied within hours, not days; and (2) maintaining an accurate asset inventory of web applications is essential to ensure rapid patch coverage.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/103985
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040754
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/04/msg00030.html
- https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4180
- https://www.drupal.org/sa-core-2018-004
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44542/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44557/
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-7602
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-7602?
- 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.
- How severe is CVE-2018-7602?
- CVE-2018-7602 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2018-7602 being actively exploited?
- Yes. CVE-2018-7602 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-04-13, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-7602?
- CVE-2018-7602 primarily affects Drupal. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-7602?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
- Does CVE-2018-7602 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2018-7602 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2024-1058. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-04-13).
- When was CVE-2018-7602 published?
- CVE-2018-7602 was published on 2018-07-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/103985
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040754
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/04/msg00030.html
- https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4180
- https://www.drupal.org/sa-core-2018-004
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44542/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44557/
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-7602
Affected products (4)
- cpe:2.3:a:drupal:drupal:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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