CVE-2011-4279 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Moodle 2.0.x before 2.0.2 does not use the forceloginforprofiles setting for course-profiles access control, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive information via vectors involving use of a search engine, as demonstrated by the search functionality of Google, Yahoo!, Wrensoft Zoom, MSN, Yandex, and AltaVista.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-4279 represents a significant access control flaw in Moodle version 2.0.x prior to 2.0.2 that undermines the platform's security posture. This issue specifically affects the course-profiles access control mechanism, where the forceloginforprofiles setting fails to properly enforce authentication requirements. The vulnerability stems from the improper implementation of access control policies that should require users to authenticate before accessing course-specific profile information. This flaw creates a pathway for unauthorized information disclosure that can be exploited through search engine crawlers and web indexing tools.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when search engines index course profile pages without proper authentication requirements. Attackers can leverage search functionality across multiple platforms including Google, Yahoo!, Wrensoft Zoom, MSN, Yandex, and AltaVista to discover and access course profile information that should otherwise be restricted. The forceloginforprofiles setting is designed to ensure that users must log in before viewing course-specific profile details, but this enforcement mechanism fails in affected versions. This creates a scenario where sensitive educational information including course enrollment details, user activity patterns, and potentially personal information about students and instructors becomes publicly accessible through web search mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass broader security implications for educational institutions using Moodle. Organizations may inadvertently expose confidential course data, student enrollment patterns, and institutional information that could be used for social engineering attacks, competitive intelligence gathering, or other malicious purposes. The vulnerability particularly affects institutions that rely heavily on Moodle for course management and student information systems. Security researchers have identified this as a weakness in access control implementation that violates fundamental security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and other security frameworks. The issue demonstrates a failure in proper authentication enforcement that can be classified as a CWE-284 access control flaw, specifically involving insufficient access control mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of security patches and configuration updates. Organizations should upgrade to Moodle 2.0.2 or later versions where this access control issue has been addressed. System administrators must also verify that the forceloginforprofiles setting is properly configured and enforced across all course profile pages. Additional protective measures include implementing proper robots.txt configurations to prevent search engine indexing of sensitive course information, establishing more robust authentication mechanisms, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation and information gathering techniques, highlighting the importance of proper access control implementation. Regular monitoring and security auditing of educational platforms becomes essential to prevent similar access control failures that could compromise institutional data integrity and student privacy.