CVE-2012-2353 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Moodle 2.1.x before 2.1.6 and 2.2.x before 2.2.3 allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive user information from hidden fields by leveraging the teacher role and navigating to "Enrolled users" under the Users Settings section.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2021
This vulnerability exists in Moodle learning management systems version 2.1.x before 2.1.6 and 2.2.x before 2.2.3 where authenticated users with the teacher role can access hidden user information through improper access control mechanisms. The flaw specifically occurs when teachers navigate to the "Enrolled users" section under Users Settings, allowing them to view sensitive data that should remain hidden from their role permissions. This represents a classic privilege escalation issue where users can bypass intended access restrictions to gain unauthorized visibility into user data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control checks within the user management interface. When teachers access the enrolled users page, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has appropriate permissions to view all fields displayed on the page. This allows teachers to see fields that are typically hidden from their role level, including sensitive information such as email addresses, registration details, and potentially personal identifiers that should only be visible to administrators or users with higher privileges. The vulnerability is classified as a weakness in access control mechanisms and aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables unauthorized information disclosure to users who should not have access to such sensitive data. Teachers, who are typically granted limited access rights, can exploit this flaw to gather personal information about students and other users within their courses. This creates potential privacy violations and could lead to identity theft, social engineering attacks, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege and can result in data breaches that compromise user confidentiality and institutional security policies.
Organizations using affected Moodle versions should immediately apply the security patches released by Moodle developers to address this access control weakness. The mitigation strategy involves implementing proper role-based access controls that ensure users can only view information appropriate to their assigned permissions. System administrators should also conduct regular security audits to verify that access controls are properly configured and that users cannot bypass intended restrictions through navigation paths. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through improper access control mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to user information and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.