dbcve.org
Rest\/jsonDrupal extension · Rest\/json Project

CVE-2016-20001

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-01-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 7.x-1.5 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The REST/JSON project 7.x-1.x for Drupal allows node access bypass, aka SA-CONTRIB-2016-033. NOTE: This project is not covered by Drupal's security advisory policy.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

The REST/JSON Drupal module 7.x-1.x contains an access bypass vulnerability allowing unauthorized users to access nodes that should be restricted through the REST API endpoints, likely due to missing or insufficient permission checks on JSON output endpoints.

MitigationSince this project is not covered by Drupal's security advisory policy and may not receive patches, the module should be removed if unused or compensating controls (such as web server authentication or firewall rules restricting API access) should be implemented.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Rest\/jsonDrupal extension
Affected:<= 7.x-1.5

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Rest/json module version
    In the Drupal administration panel, navigate to Modules or use drush pm-list --type=module --status=enabled | grep rest_json. Check the module's info.yml file (usually at sites/all/modules/rest_json/rest_json.info) or the module's version as displayed in the Drupal modules list.
    Affected if The module version is 7.x-1.5 or lower.
  2. Confirm the module is enabled
    Check if the Rest/json module appears in the list of enabled modules in Drupal's administration at Admin > Modules, or run drush pm-list --type=module --status=enabled to list enabled modules.
    Affected if The Rest/json module is listed as enabled.
  3. Verify REST API endpoint accessibility
    Attempt to access a JSON endpoint that should be restricted, such as a node that requires authentication. Try accessing paths like /rest/json/node/[nid] or /api/json/... using an unauthenticated browser session or curl request without credentials.
    Affected if JSON output is returned without requiring authentication or proper permissions.
  4. Inspect REST endpoint permission configuration
    Review the module's routing/permission configuration files (rest_json.module or rest_json.info) to determine if permission callbacks are properly defined. Check Admin > People > Permissions for any Rest/json specific permissions.
    Affected if No specific permissions are required to access the JSON endpoints, or the module lacks permission callbacks in its code.

You are affected if the Rest/json module version 7.x-1.5 or lower is installed and enabled, and JSON/REST endpoints can be accessed without authentication or proper Drupal permission checks.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 7.x-1.5
Interim mitigation

Since this project is not covered by Drupal's security advisory policy and may not receive patches, the module should be removed if unused or compensating controls (such as web server authentication or firewall rules restricting API access) should be implemented.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

7.x-1.6 or latest stable 7.x release

  1. Identify all Drupal 7 sites using the REST/JSON module (7.x-1.5 or earlier)
  2. Check if the site uses the REST/JSON module for exposing content via REST API
  3. If the module is in use, upgrade to the latest available stable release (7.x-1.6 or later if available)
  4. Clear Drupal cache after upgrading: navigate to Configuration > Performance > Clear all caches, or run drush cc all
  5. Review node access permissions to ensure unauthorized access did not occur prior to patching
  6. Verify the fix by testing that non-public content is properly restricted via the REST API
Caveat Review any custom REST endpoint configurations after upgrade as API behavior may have changed

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Rest\/json Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,980
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-20001 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data