CVE-2025-3634 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE • 04/25/2025
A security vulnerability was discovered in Moodle that allows students to enroll themselves in courses without completing all the necessary safety checks. Specifically, users can sign up for courses prematurely, even if they haven't finished two-step verification processes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2025
This vulnerability in Moodle represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the platform's authentication and enrollment security mechanisms. The issue stems from insufficient validation during the course enrollment process, allowing unauthorized users to bypass mandatory security protocols. According to CWE-284, this manifests as an improper access control vulnerability where the system fails to properly enforce authorization checks during user enrollment. The vulnerability specifically targets the two-step verification process, which is a fundamental security control designed to prevent unauthorized access to educational resources.
The technical implementation of this flaw enables students to manipulate the enrollment workflow by exploiting gaps in the authentication sequence. When users attempt to enroll in courses, the system should verify that all required security measures have been completed before granting access. However, the vulnerability allows users to proceed with enrollment even when they have not completed the two-step verification process, effectively creating a backdoor for unauthorized access. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a failure in the system's integrity validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it creates potential security risks for educational institutions using Moodle. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gain access to restricted course materials, participate in assessments, or interfere with academic processes without proper authorization. The implications are particularly concerning in environments where sensitive academic data is stored, as this could lead to data breaches or academic integrity violations. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1566 which covers credential harvesting, as it enables unauthorized access through compromised or bypassed authentication mechanisms.
Organizations using Moodle should implement immediate mitigations including enhanced enrollment validation checks, mandatory completion verification for all authentication steps, and regular security audits of enrollment processes. The system should enforce strict validation of all authentication requirements before completing any enrollment transactions. Additionally, administrators should review and strengthen their access control policies to ensure that all enrollment activities are properly monitored and logged. Regular security testing and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the authentication and authorization frameworks, particularly focusing on multi-factor authentication enforcement and session management controls.