Massive Drupal Bug Leaves 12 Million Websites Vulnerable

An estimated 12 million websites have potentially fallen victim to attackers who cleverly exploited a bug in the ‘Drupal’ software, a popular tool used widely for precise web content management of text, images, and video. With such a staggering number of websites under threat, the gravity of this incident cannot be understated.

The security team at Drupal recently sounded the alarm, urgently recommending users who failed to apply a critical patch for the newly discovered bug to “assume” their site has been compromised. This stern warning from Drupal indicates that the bug had serious implications.

The team elaborated that these attacks were automated and designed to exploit the vulnerability, giving attackers total control over the compromised websites. In their “highly critical” announcement, Drupal’s security team offered a sobering statement. It said that anyone who did not spring into action within seven hours of the bug’s discovery on October 15 should proceed under the assumption that their site was compromised. The message couldn’t be clearer: Those who have not updated yet should do so forthwith.

However, the security team added a chilling caveat: implementing the update might not eliminate any potential backdoors created by the attackers after gaining initial access. They urged affected sites to start investigations promptly to ascertain if any data had been stolen. The warning emphasized, “Attackers may have copied all data out of your site and could use it maliciously. There may be no trace of the attack.” Helpful remedial advice for compromised sites was also provided by Drupal.

Mark Stockley, an expert security analyst for the respected firm Sophos, characterized Drupal’s dramatic warning as “shocking.” Expounding further, he emphasized the potential danger. “The bug in version 7 of the Drupal software catapults the attacker into a privileged position,” he noted. Such unauthorized access could enable the attacker to seize control of a server or to scatter the site with malware, entrapping unsuspecting visitors.

This incident is a stark reminder of the constant and evolving threats in the digital world. It emphasizes the crucial importance of staying updated on security patches and having robust security in place. More detailed information about this attack is available here at the BBC.

This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities.