CVE-2011-4280 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Spike PHPCoverage (aka spikephpcoverage) library, as used in Moodle 2.0.x before 2.0.2 and other products, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2024
The CVE-2011-4280 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Spike PHPCoverage library, which was prominently utilized in Moodle 2.0.x versions prior to 2.0.2 and other affected software products. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically manifesting as a weakness in input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser by injecting arbitrary web script or HTML code through unspecified attack vectors within the library's processing functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input data within the Spike PHPCoverage component. When the library processes coverage data or handles user interactions, it fails to properly encode or validate the data before rendering it in web contexts. This creates an environment where malicious actors can craft specially crafted input that, when processed by the vulnerable library, gets executed as legitimate web content within the victim's browser. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability could potentially be triggered through multiple pathways within the library's functionality, making it particularly challenging to fully mitigate without comprehensive input validation measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-4280 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, manipulate web content, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected systems. In the context of Moodle environments, this vulnerability could allow unauthorized individuals to access student data, manipulate grades, or gain administrative access to learning management systems. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content and T1059.007 for command and control through script injection. The widespread adoption of Spike PHPCoverage across various PHP-based applications meant that organizations using affected versions were at significant risk of exploitation.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including upgrading to patched versions of Moodle 2.0.2 or later, applying the appropriate security patches to the Spike PHPCoverage library, and implementing robust input validation measures. Additionally, security teams should deploy web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities, establish proper output encoding practices, and conduct thorough security assessments of all web applications utilizing vulnerable libraries. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date third-party components and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities in widely-used software libraries.