CVE-2017-7532 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
In Moodle 3.x, course creators are able to change system default settings for courses.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2025
CVE-2017-7532 represents a privilege escalation vulnerability within the Moodle learning management system that allows course creators to manipulate system default settings for courses. This vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient access control as defined by CWE-284 and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.101 which covers valid accounts with elevated privileges. The flaw exists in Moodle versions 3.x where course creators possess excessive permissions that extend beyond their intended scope, enabling them to modify critical system configurations that should be restricted to administrators or higher-privileged users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper authorization checks within the course management subsystem. When course creators attempt to modify course settings, the system fails to properly validate whether the requested changes fall within the boundaries of their assigned permissions. This creates an opportunity for attackers who have gained access to course creator accounts to elevate their privileges and alter system-wide configurations. The vulnerability specifically affects the course creation and modification workflows where the authorization logic does not adequately distinguish between user roles and their respective access levels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides malicious actors with the ability to fundamentally alter the behavior of the learning management system. Course creators could potentially disable security features, modify user access controls, change authentication settings, or alter course enrollment configurations that affect the entire platform. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive educational data, disruption of learning activities, or even complete compromise of the system's integrity. The vulnerability essentially undermines the principle of least privilege by allowing users with limited roles to perform actions typically restricted to system administrators.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7532 should focus on implementing proper role-based access controls and strengthening authorization mechanisms within the Moodle platform. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Moodle that address this vulnerability, as the official release included fixes that properly enforce access controls for course creation and modification functions. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of user roles and permissions, ensuring that course creators only possess the minimum necessary privileges for their assigned tasks. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unauthorized configuration changes, while regular security assessments should verify that access controls remain properly enforced. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining proper access control mechanisms and adhering to security best practices outlined in standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001.