CVE-2012-2360 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Wiki subsystem in Moodle 2.0.x before 2.0.9, 2.1.x before 2.1.6, and 2.2.x before 2.2.3 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted string that is inserted into a page title.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2021
The CVE-2012-2360 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Moodle's Wiki subsystem that affected multiple versions of the popular learning management system. This vulnerability specifically targeted the way Moodle handled page titles in its wiki functionality, creating an exploitable condition that allowed authenticated users to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's interface. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it could be exploited by users who already had legitimate access to the system, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on Moodle for educational content management and collaboration.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the Wiki subsystem's title handling mechanism. When users created or modified wiki pages, the system failed to properly escape or filter special characters in page titles before rendering them in HTML contexts. This inadequate sanitization allowed attackers to inject script tags or other malicious HTML elements that would execute in the browsers of other users who viewed the affected pages. The vulnerability was classified as a persistent XSS attack vector because the malicious content remained embedded in the wiki pages and would execute every time the page was accessed, potentially affecting multiple users over extended periods.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability posed significant risks to educational institutions and organizations using Moodle for collaborative learning environments. The authenticated nature of the exploit meant that attackers needed valid user credentials, but once inside the system, they could potentially compromise the entire user base that viewed the malicious wiki pages. The impact extended beyond simple script execution, as attackers could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify content to spread further attacks. This vulnerability particularly threatened the integrity of collaborative learning environments where multiple users contribute to and access shared knowledge repositories, creating a potential attack vector for broader security breaches within educational institutions.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should have implemented immediate mitigations including upgrading to the patched versions of Moodle 2.0.9, 2.1.6, and 2.2.3, which contained proper input sanitization measures for wiki page titles. Additionally, administrators should have reviewed and restricted wiki creation permissions to minimize the attack surface, while implementing proper output encoding for all user-generated content. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws, and follows ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content. The incident highlighted the importance of input validation in web applications and demonstrated how seemingly minor functionality flaws in collaborative systems could create significant security risks for entire user communities.