CVE-2014-3547 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in badges/renderer.php in Moodle 2.5.x before 2.5.7, 2.6.x before 2.6.4, and 2.7.x before 2.7.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an external badge.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3547 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Moodle's badge rendering functionality. This issue affects multiple versions of the popular learning management system, specifically targeting Moodle 2.5.x before 2.5.7, 2.6.x before 2.6.4, and 2.7.x before 2.7.1. The flaw resides in the badges/renderer.php component which handles the display and rendering of external badges within the Moodle environment. This vulnerability type falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that allows malicious input to be executed as client-side scripts. The vulnerability specifically impacts the badge system that enables users to display achievements and credentials earned through various learning activities, making it a particularly concerning security issue for educational institutions that rely heavily on badge-based recognition systems.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers can inject malicious web script or HTML code through external badge parameters. When Moodle processes these badges for display, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of other users' browsers. This occurs because the renderer.php script does not adequately validate or encode the badge data before incorporating it into the HTML output. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because badges are often displayed prominently within the learning management system, making them prime targets for exploitation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute malicious code that could compromise the entire Moodle installation. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices that directly violates the principle of least privilege and proper data sanitization in web application development.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, creating significant risks for educational institutions and their users. When exploited, the XSS vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, data theft, and potential system compromise. Educational organizations using affected Moodle versions face the risk of having their students' and faculty's personal information exposed, as attackers could harvest cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive data. The attack surface is particularly wide since badges are commonly shared across courses and communities, potentially allowing a single compromised badge to affect multiple users simultaneously. This vulnerability also undermines the trust users place in the learning management system, as it could enable attackers to impersonate legitimate users or display malicious content that appears authentic. The impact is further amplified in environments where Moodle serves as the primary platform for online learning, making it a valuable target for threat actors seeking to disrupt educational services or gain unauthorized access to sensitive academic data.
Organizations affected by CVE-2014-3547 should immediately implement several mitigation strategies to protect their Moodle installations. The most critical step involves upgrading to patched versions of Moodle, specifically versions 2.5.7, 2.6.4, and 2.7.1, which contain the necessary security fixes for this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional protective measures including input validation at multiple levels, proper output encoding for all user-supplied data, and regular security audits of badge-related functionalities. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth, though they should not be considered a substitute for proper application-level fixes. The remediation process should also include comprehensive user education about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or downloading badges from untrusted sources. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, and regular penetration testing should be conducted to ensure the effectiveness of implemented controls. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security practices throughout the application lifecycle, aligning with the security principles outlined in the ATT&CK framework under the web application attack patterns category.