CVE-2025-31678 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the Drupal AI (Artificial Intelligence) module, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.0.3, including version 0.0.0. The vulnerability is categorized as CWE-862, which corresponds to Missing Authorization. This flaw allows an attacker to perform forceful browsing, meaning unauthorized users can access restricted resources or functionalities without proper permission checks. The vulnerability arises because the module fails to enforce authorization controls on certain endpoints or functionalities, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to access data or trigger actions that should be protected. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H), the attack can be executed remotely over the network without any privileges or user interaction, with low attack complexity. The impact on confidentiality is low, indicating limited data exposure, but the availability impact is high, suggesting attackers could disrupt or degrade service availability, potentially causing denial-of-service conditions or resource exhaustion. Integrity is not impacted. No known exploits are currently observed in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet, though the issue is reserved and published as of March 31, 2025. The vulnerability affects the Drupal AI module, which is an extension to the Drupal content management system, integrating AI capabilities. Given Drupal's widespread use in web content management, especially for public-facing websites and portals, this vulnerability could be leveraged to disrupt services or access restricted AI functionalities, potentially impacting business operations and user experience.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-31678 could be significant, especially for those relying on Drupal-based websites or services that utilize the AI module. The high availability impact means attackers could cause service outages or degrade performance, affecting customer-facing portals, e-commerce platforms, or internal tools. Although confidentiality impact is low, unauthorized access through forceful browsing could expose limited sensitive information or allow attackers to enumerate resources, which might aid further attacks. The lack of required authentication and user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing risk. Organizations in sectors such as government, education, media, and e-commerce that use Drupal extensively could face operational disruptions, reputational damage, and potential regulatory scrutiny under GDPR if service availability is compromised or personal data indirectly affected. Additionally, AI functionalities integrated into Drupal might be critical for automation or decision-making workflows, so disruption could have cascading effects on business processes.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading the Drupal AI module to version 1.0.3 or later once it becomes available, as this will likely include the necessary authorization checks. Until a patch is released, organizations should implement strict access controls at the web server or application firewall level to restrict access to AI module endpoints, using IP whitelisting or authentication proxies where feasible. Conduct thorough audits of Drupal AI module configurations to identify and disable any unnecessary or exposed functionalities. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block forceful browsing attempts targeting known AI module paths. Monitor logs for unusual access patterns indicative of unauthorized browsing or scanning activities. Additionally, segregate AI module services from critical infrastructure where possible to limit impact. Regularly update Drupal core and all modules to reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities. Finally, educate development and operations teams about the risks of missing authorization controls and enforce secure coding and deployment practices for custom Drupal modules.