CVE-2011-4308 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
mod/forum/user.php in Moodle 1.9.x before 1.9.14, 2.0.x before 2.0.5, and 2.1.x before 2.1.2 allows remote authenticated users to discover the names of other users via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4308 affects Moodle learning management systems across multiple versions including 1.9.x before 1.9.14, 2.0.x before 2.0.5, and 2.1.x before 2.1.2. This issue represents a significant privacy concern within educational platforms where user information disclosure can compromise the security posture of institutions. The vulnerability specifically resides in the mod/forum/user.php component which handles user-related functionality within the forum module. The flaw enables authenticated attackers to potentially gather sensitive information about other users within the system without proper authorization, creating an avenue for reconnaissance activities that could lead to more sophisticated attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and input validation mechanisms within the forum user interface. Attackers with valid accounts can exploit unspecified vectors to enumerate user names and potentially other identifying information about their peers within the same course or community. This type of information disclosure vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 which describes improper exposure of sensitive information and can be categorized under the broader class of information disclosure flaws that undermine system security. The vulnerability demonstrates a weakness in the principle of least privilege where authenticated users can access information beyond what is necessary for their role within the learning management system.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-4308 extends beyond simple information disclosure as it enables attackers to conduct reconnaissance activities that could facilitate targeted attacks against specific users. Educational institutions using affected Moodle versions face risks including potential social engineering attacks, credential harvesting, and targeted phishing attempts that leverage the discovered user information. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where Moodle serves as a primary platform for student and faculty communication, as it undermines the privacy expectations of users who trust the system to maintain appropriate access controls. This issue represents a critical gap in the security architecture of these learning platforms and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1087.001 which involves account discovery through enumeration of user accounts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Moodle where available, as the vulnerability was addressed through version updates that corrected the access control mechanisms. Security administrators should also review and harden user access policies to ensure that only authorized individuals can access user information within forum modules. Additional protective measures include implementing network-level restrictions on forum access, monitoring for unusual access patterns, and conducting regular security audits of user enumeration capabilities within the system. The remediation process should involve comprehensive testing to ensure that the patched versions maintain full functionality while addressing the vulnerability. Organizations utilizing older Moodle versions without available patches should consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls and access control lists to limit exposure to this type of information disclosure threat.