CVE-2012-1160 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Moodle before 2.2.2 has a permission issue in Forum Subscriptions where unenrolled users can subscribe/unsubscribe via mod/forum/index.php
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1160 affects Moodle versions prior to 2.2.2 and relates to a critical permission flaw within the forum subscriptions functionality. This issue resides in the mod/forum/index.php component where the access control mechanisms fail to properly validate user enrollment status before processing subscription requests. The flaw allows unenrolled users to manipulate forum subscription states through direct interaction with the forum index page, bypassing the intended security boundaries that should restrict such actions to enrolled participants only.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability represents a classic authorization bypass issue that falls under CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software systems. The flaw occurs because the application does not adequately verify whether a user possesses the necessary privileges to perform subscription operations before executing the corresponding database modifications. This weakness creates a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust model by simply crafting specific HTTP requests to the forum index endpoint, effectively allowing them to subscribe or unsubscribe from forums without proper enrollment credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple permission bypass, as it fundamentally undermines the integrity of Moodle's course enrollment and access control mechanisms. Unenrolled users could potentially gain unauthorized access to forum discussions, subscribe to restricted content, and receive notifications for topics they should not be able to access. This breach of access control can lead to information disclosure, as these unauthorized users might be able to monitor discussions that contain sensitive course materials or personal information shared within the forums. The vulnerability also compromises the overall security posture of educational institutions using Moodle, potentially exposing them to compliance violations and data privacy breaches.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of ATT&CK framework category TA0006, which focuses on privilege escalation and unauthorized access. The exploitation of this flaw aligns with techniques involving unauthorized access to resources and potential information gathering through subscription manipulation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Moodle version 2.2.2 or later, where proper access controls have been implemented to prevent unenrolled users from performing subscription operations. Additionally, administrators should review existing forum configurations and subscription settings to ensure that access controls are properly enforced, and consider implementing additional monitoring to detect unusual subscription patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in web applications, particularly those handling educational content where data privacy and access restrictions are paramount for compliance with educational standards and regulations.