CVE-2004-2237 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in Moodle before 1.3.4 has unknown impact and attack vectors, related to "strings in Moodle texts."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2237 represents a security flaw within the Moodle learning management system that existed prior to version 1.3.4. This issue specifically relates to how Moodle handles string processing within text content, creating potential security risks that could be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability's classification as "unknown impact and attack vectors" suggests that the exact nature of the security implications was not fully documented at the time of discovery, indicating a potentially serious security gap in the platform's text handling mechanisms. The affected version range indicates this was a significant issue that required immediate attention and patching to protect educational institutions relying on Moodle for their learning management needs.
The technical flaw associated with this vulnerability stems from improper handling of string data within Moodle's text processing functions. When Moodle processes user-generated content, particularly text that contains special characters or malformed strings, the system may not properly sanitize or validate these inputs before rendering them in the user interface or storing them in databases. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the category of input validation issues where the system fails to properly handle unexpected string formats that could be manipulated to execute unintended operations. The strings in Moodle texts aspect suggests that the vulnerability specifically manifests when processing text elements that contain complex string structures or encoding that the system's string handling functions cannot properly process. This represents a classic example of a buffer overflow or injection vulnerability that could potentially be leveraged for code execution or data manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-2237 within educational environments could be substantial, particularly given Moodle's widespread adoption in academic institutions. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Moodle would face risks including unauthorized access to course materials, potential data corruption or loss, and possible privilege escalation attacks that could allow malicious users to gain administrative access to learning management systems. The vulnerability could enable attackers to manipulate text content in ways that might compromise the integrity of educational data or disrupt normal learning operations. Educational institutions relying on Moodle for online courses, grade management, and student communication systems would be particularly vulnerable to disruptions that could affect thousands of users and potentially expose sensitive academic information. The attack vectors for this vulnerability likely involve crafting malicious text content that, when processed by the vulnerable Moodle system, triggers the underlying security flaw.
Security mitigation for CVE-2004-2237 primarily involves upgrading to Moodle version 1.3.4 or later, which would contain the necessary patches to address the string handling issues. Organizations should also implement proper input validation measures on user-generated content, ensuring that all text submissions are properly sanitized before being processed by the system. Network administrators should monitor for any suspicious activities related to text content manipulation and implement additional security controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious string patterns. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and could potentially map to ATT&CK techniques involving input validation flaws and privilege escalation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning of Moodle installations should be conducted to ensure that all systems remain protected against similar string processing vulnerabilities that may emerge in the future.