CVE-2010-2231 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in report/overview/report.php in the quiz module in Moodle before 1.8.13 and 1.9.x before 1.9.9 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that delete quiz attempts via the attemptid parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2021
The CVE-2010-2231 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Moodle's quiz module that existed in versions prior to 1.8.13 and 1.9.9. This vulnerability specifically affects the report/overview/report.php file within the quiz module, creating a significant security risk that enables remote attackers to manipulate user sessions and execute unauthorized actions. The flaw manifests through the attemptid parameter which controls quiz attempt deletion functionality, allowing malicious actors to craft deceptive requests that appear legitimate to the target system. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, making it a well-documented and serious security concern in web application development.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability requires an attacker to convince a victim user to visit a malicious website or click on a crafted link while maintaining an active session with the vulnerable Moodle instance. When the victim's browser automatically submits a request to delete a quiz attempt, the system processes this request without proper validation of the user's intent or authentication context. The attacker can manipulate the attemptid parameter to target specific quiz attempts belonging to other users, effectively hijacking their authentication sessions to perform unauthorized deletions. This attack vector operates at the application layer and demonstrates how insufficient input validation and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation can create persistent security weaknesses. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which describes the use of credentials from password reuse to gain access to systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation as it compromises the integrity and availability of quiz data within educational institutions using Moodle. When attackers successfully exploit this flaw, they can delete quiz attempts that may contain important student progress information, potentially affecting academic records and grading systems. The vulnerability particularly threatens educational environments where Moodle is used for assessment and learning management, as it can disrupt the educational process by removing completed work or manipulating grade records. Organizations may face compliance issues related to data integrity and student privacy, especially in regulated educational environments where maintaining accurate academic records is mandatory. The attack can be executed without requiring any special privileges or advanced technical skills, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by relatively unskilled attackers. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper session management and input validation in web applications, as the lack of proper CSRF protection tokens allows attackers to leverage legitimate user sessions for malicious activities.
Organizations using affected Moodle versions should immediately implement the security patches released by Moodle developers to address this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to Moodle versions 1.8.13 or 1.9.9 and later, which include proper CSRF token validation mechanisms. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security measures such as network-level protections, web application firewalls, and monitoring for suspicious activity patterns. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the educational technology stack. The remediation process must include thorough testing to ensure that the security patches do not introduce compatibility issues with existing educational workflows or user interfaces. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of maintaining current security practices and the necessity of regular security updates in educational technology platforms.