CVE-2015-3180 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
lib/navigationlib.php in Moodle through 2.5.9, 2.6.x before 2.6.11, 2.7.x before 2.7.8, and 2.8.x before 2.8.6 allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive course-structure information by leveraging access to a student account with a suspended enrolment.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3180 resides within the navigation library component of Moodle learning management system, specifically in the lib/navigationlib.php file. This issue affects multiple versions of Moodle including 2.5.9 and earlier, 2.6.x versions before 2.6.11, 2.7.x versions before 2.7.8, and 2.8.x versions before 2.8.6. The flaw represents a significant information disclosure vulnerability that undermines the system's access control mechanisms and data protection policies. The vulnerability operates through a specific exploitation vector involving suspended student accounts, where authenticated users can leverage their access privileges to extract sensitive course structure information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel.
The technical flaw stems from improper access control validation within the navigation library implementation. When a student account possesses suspended enrollment status, the system fails to adequately restrict access to course structure information that would normally be hidden from users with limited or terminated access rights. This occurs because the navigation library does not properly verify the active status of enrolled users before exposing course hierarchy details, module information, and structural elements that provide insights into the complete course architecture. The vulnerability manifests when authenticated users with suspended enrollments attempt to navigate through course structures, inadvertently allowing access to information that should be restricted based on enrollment status. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks where the system assumes that authenticated access automatically grants full structural visibility regardless of enrollment status.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, creating potential risks for academic institutions and their data security posture. Attackers with suspended student accounts can gather detailed information about course modules, resource availability, assignment structures, and overall course organization, which could be exploited for further attacks or academic misconduct. The information obtained through this vulnerability could enable malicious actors to identify vulnerable course components, understand grading structures, or plan targeted attacks against specific course elements. This vulnerability particularly affects educational environments where maintaining course confidentiality and preventing unauthorized access to academic content is critical, as it allows individuals with compromised or terminated access to still obtain detailed structural information that could be used for academic dishonesty or system exploitation. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor for unauthorized information gathering that bypasses normal enrollment-based access controls.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3180 should focus on implementing proper access control validation within the navigation library component. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Moodle where available, specifically versions 2.6.11, 2.7.8, and 2.8.6 or later, which contain the necessary fixes to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of user access patterns, particularly for accounts with suspended enrollments, to detect unusual navigation activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix typically involves strengthening authorization checks within the navigation library to ensure that suspended or inactive enrollment statuses properly restrict access to course structure information. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control issues, and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1068 which involves exploiting privileges to gain access to restricted resources. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level controls and access logging to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability in their Moodle deployments.