CVE-2015-5340 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Moodle through 2.6.11, 2.7.x before 2.7.11, 2.8.x before 2.8.9, and 2.9.x before 2.9.3 does not consider the moodle/badges:viewbadges capability, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive badge information via a request involving (1) badges/overview.php or (2) badges/view.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2022
This vulnerability in Moodle represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the platform's security model for badge management. The issue stems from the absence of proper capability checks in two key endpoints: badges/overview.php and badges/view.php. Remote authenticated users can exploit this weakness to access sensitive badge information that should be restricted to authorized personnel. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Moodle including 2.6.11 and earlier, 2.7.x versions before 2.7.11, 2.8.x versions before 2.8.9, and 2.9.x versions before 2.9.3, indicating a widespread impact across the software's release history.
The technical implementation flaw lies in the missing moodle/badges:viewbadges capability validation within the badge viewing functionality. This capability should control access to badge information, ensuring that only users with appropriate permissions can view sensitive badge details. Without this validation, authenticated users can bypass normal access controls and retrieve badge data that may contain personal information, achievement details, or other sensitive metadata associated with user accomplishments. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires minimal privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as badge systems often contain valuable user achievement data that could be used for social engineering attacks or identity theft. Attackers could potentially gather detailed information about user participation, completion rates, and skill achievements across various courses and activities. This information could be leveraged to craft targeted phishing campaigns or to understand user behavior patterns within educational institutions. The vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and defense in depth, as it allows unauthorized access to information that should remain protected within the system's access control framework.
Organizations using affected Moodle versions should immediately implement the available security patches and updates to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also review and audit existing badge configurations to ensure that appropriate capability assignments are in place. The remediation process should include verifying that the moodle/badges:viewbadges capability is properly enforced across all badge-related endpoints. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns to badge information. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it exploits legitimate user accounts to gain unauthorized access to restricted information. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and additional access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in their educational environments.