CVE-2010-1616 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Moodle 1.8.x and 1.9.x before 1.9.8 can create new roles when restoring a course, which allows teachers to create new accounts even if they do not have the moodle/user:create capability.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2025
This vulnerability exists in Moodle learning management systems version 1.8.x and 1.9.x prior to 1.9.8, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the system's security model. The issue stems from improper privilege validation during the course restoration process, allowing unauthorized users to escalate their permissions within the platform. Specifically, teachers who normally lack the capability to create new user accounts can exploit this weakness to establish new accounts, effectively bypassing the intended role-based access controls that should prevent such actions. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a failure in the system's capability management implementation.
The technical flaw manifests during course restoration operations where the system fails to properly validate whether the restoring user possesses the necessary permissions to create new roles or user accounts. When a teacher attempts to restore a course, the system incorrectly permits the creation of new roles without verifying that the user has the appropriate capabilities. This occurs because the restoration process does not perform adequate authorization checks against the user's current role permissions, particularly the moodle/user:create capability that should be required for account creation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 as an "Improper Access Control" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.101 for Valid Accounts, as it enables unauthorized users to gain elevated privileges through legitimate system functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows teachers to essentially create their own administrative accounts or accounts with elevated privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise. An attacker with teacher-level access could use this vulnerability to create accounts with any role, including administrator roles, thereby gaining unauthorized control over the entire Moodle platform. This capability could be exploited to modify course content, access student data, manipulate grades, and potentially use the system for further attacks on the underlying infrastructure. The vulnerability undermines the trust model of the learning management system and could result in data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive educational information, and potential regulatory compliance violations.
Organizations using affected Moodle versions should immediately implement the patch released in version 1.9.8 which addresses the privilege validation issue during course restoration. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits to identify any unauthorized accounts that may have been created through this vulnerability, particularly focusing on accounts with elevated privileges that were not properly authorized. Additional mitigations include implementing strict role management policies, regularly reviewing user permissions, and monitoring course restoration activities for unusual account creation patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper capability validation in all system operations, particularly those involving data import and system configuration changes. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of compromised teacher accounts, while ensuring that all Moodle installations are kept current with security patches. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of validating all user capabilities during system operations and the need for comprehensive security testing of restoration and import functions.