CVE-2022-45150 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE • 11/23/2022
A reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability was discovered in Moodle. This flaw exists due to insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data in policy tool. An attacker can trick the victim to open a specially crafted link that executes an arbitrary HTML and script code in user's browser in context of vulnerable website. This vulnerability may allow an attacker to perform cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks to gain access potentially sensitive information and modification of web pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-45150 represents a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw within the Moodle learning management system platform. This security weakness specifically manifests in the policy tool component where inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms fail to properly process user-supplied data. The flaw operates at the intersection of web application security and user interaction, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute unauthorized code within the context of legitimate user sessions. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and it maps directly to ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on code injection attacks through web applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing specially formatted script code that gets reflected back to the victim's browser through the vulnerable policy tool. When a user clicks on this crafted link, the malicious payload executes within the browser context of the legitimate Moodle website, effectively bypassing the normal security boundaries that should protect user sessions. The reflected nature of this XSS attack means that the malicious script code is not stored on the server but rather injected into the web application response dynamically, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through traditional server-side security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to access potentially sensitive information and modify web pages within the Moodle environment. This could enable unauthorized users to steal session cookies, access confidential course materials, manipulate user permissions, or even redirect users to malicious websites. The attack vector relies heavily on social engineering tactics, as victims must be tricked into clicking malicious links, but once executed, the consequences can be severe for educational institutions relying on Moodle for their digital learning platforms. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire Moodle ecosystem, potentially compromising thousands of user accounts and educational resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-45150 should prioritize immediate patch application from Moodle's official security advisories, as this represents a known vulnerability requiring urgent remediation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, particularly within the policy tool module. Web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of protection by blocking suspicious script content and restricting cross-origin resource sharing. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the Moodle platform. The implementation of proper HTTP headers including X-Content-Type-Options and Content-Security-Policy can significantly reduce the attack surface for reflected XSS vulnerabilities, while user education programs should emphasize the importance of verifying link authenticity before clicking. These defensive measures align with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks for web application security.