CVE-2010-2228 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the MNET access-control interface in Moodle before 1.8.13 and 1.9.x before 1.9.9 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors involving extended characters in a username.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2228 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the MNET access-control interface of the Moodle learning management system. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 1.8.13 and 1.9.x prior to 1.9.9, creating a significant security risk for educational institutions relying on Moodle for their online learning platforms. The flaw specifically manifests when extended characters are present in usernames, enabling malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the MNET interface components. When user credentials containing extended character sequences are processed through the access-control mechanism, the system fails to properly sanitize these inputs before rendering them in web pages. This insufficient sanitization creates an environment where attacker-controlled data can be executed as client-side scripts within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between the Moodle platform and its users, making it particularly dangerous in educational environments where multiple users interact with shared systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, or redirect victims to malicious websites. In the context of educational platforms, this could compromise student data, academic records, and institutional credentials. The attack vector specifically targets the username field during authentication processes, making it particularly insidious as it can be exploited during normal login procedures. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through social engineering.
Organizations using affected Moodle versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to patched versions 1.8.13 or 1.9.9, respectively. Additional protective measures include implementing strict input validation policies, deploying web application firewalls, and conducting regular security audits of authentication interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization in web applications, particularly those handling user authentication data. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and establish monitoring protocols to detect suspicious authentication activities. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for comprehensive security testing in educational technology platforms where user data integrity and system trust are paramount considerations.