CVE-2025-3628 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE • 04/25/2025
A flaw has was found in Moodle where anonymous assignment submissions can be de-anonymized via search, revealing student identities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2025
This vulnerability exists within the Moodle learning management system where anonymous assignment submissions can be compromised through search functionality. The flaw allows unauthorized access to student identities that should remain concealed during anonymous submission processes. The technical implementation fails to properly sanitize search queries or implement adequate access controls when processing anonymous submissions, creating a path for information disclosure. This represents a critical breakdown in the privacy mechanisms designed to protect student identities during academic assessments.
The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control implementation within Moodle's search algorithms when processing anonymous assignment data. When students submit assignments anonymously, the system should ensure that search operations cannot reveal identifying information about the submitter. However, the current implementation allows search parameters to inadvertently expose metadata or indirect references that can be used to correlate submissions with specific student accounts. This weakness aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, and demonstrates a failure in maintaining data confidentiality during anonymous processing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially compromise academic integrity and student trust in the platform. Students who rely on anonymous submission features for legitimate reasons such as avoiding bias in peer review or protecting themselves from retaliation may have their anonymity breached. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to identify students who submitted specific assignments, potentially leading to targeted harassment or unfair treatment. The exposure of student identities through search functions violates fundamental privacy principles and could result in legal consequences for educational institutions. This vulnerability particularly affects institutions that rely heavily on anonymous peer assessment or confidential assignment submissions.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper access controls and input sanitization within the search functionality for anonymous assignments. System administrators must ensure that search operations on anonymous submissions are properly restricted to prevent identity revelation through indirect references or metadata queries. The implementation should include comprehensive input validation that prevents search parameters from accessing or exposing student identifying information. Organizations should also consider implementing additional logging and monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to anonymous submission data. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and demonstrates the critical need for proper access control implementation in educational platforms. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other anonymous functionality within the system.