CVE-2014-3548 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Moodle through 2.3.11, 2.4.x before 2.4.11, 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 vectors that trigger an AJAX exception dialog.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2022
The CVE-2014-3548 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Moodle learning management system across multiple version ranges including 2.3.11, 2.4.x through 2.4.10, 2.5.x through 2.5.6, 2.6.x through 2.6.3, and 2.7.x through 2.7.0. This vulnerability specifically affects the AJAX exception handling mechanism within Moodle's web interface, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users. The flaw resides in how Moodle processes and displays AJAX exception dialogs, which are designed to handle server-side errors and provide debugging information to users. When these exception dialogs receive improperly sanitized input, they fail to adequately filter or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in the browser, creating persistent XSS opportunities that can be exploited by attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of AJAX requests that trigger exception dialogs, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the victim's browser context. This attack vector specifically targets the error handling components of Moodle's AJAX framework, which are designed to provide debugging information to administrators and developers. The vulnerability enables attackers to execute scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially allowing them to steal session cookies, modify user permissions, access sensitive course materials, or perform actions on behalf of legitimate users. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it leverages the legitimate error reporting functionality of the system rather than requiring direct injection into core application logic, making it more difficult to detect and prevent through traditional security measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-3548 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to Moodle environments and compromise the integrity of educational data. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to manipulate course content, alter grades, access private communications between instructors and students, or even escalate privileges within the system. The vulnerability affects Moodle installations that have not been updated to the patched versions, potentially exposing educational institutions to data breaches, content manipulation, and unauthorized access to sensitive academic information. Organizations running affected Moodle versions face significant risk to their digital learning environments, as the XSS vulnerability can be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise to compromise the security posture of their online learning platforms.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to patched versions of Moodle that address this vulnerability, specifically targeting releases 2.3.11, 2.4.11, 2.5.7, 2.6.4, and 2.7.1 respectively. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection. Additional mitigations should include implementing robust input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data, particularly within AJAX response handling components. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual AJAX request patterns and error dialog generation that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments of web application components, particularly error handling and user input processing mechanisms, should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses that could provide attackers with similar exploitation pathways.