CVE-2014-7845: Moodle/moodle Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9v64-447r-wch6
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CWE-1391
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2014-7845 is a HIGH remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-1391: Use of Weak Credentials) affecting Moodle/moodle libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves moodle temporary passwords are brute force-able. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.7.3, 2.6.6, 2.5.9.

CVE-2014-7845 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2014-7845
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9v64-447r-wch6
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-1391: Use of Weak Credentials
Affected Product Moodle/moodle
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2014-7845

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Moodle/moodle dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

moodle/moodle fixed: 2.7.3 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.7.3
moodle/moodle fixed: 2.6.6 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.6.6
moodle/moodle fixed: 2.5.9 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.5.9
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for moodle/moodle

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2014-7845, inspect your project dependencies for Moodle/moodle:

inspect dependencies for moodle/moodle

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Moodle/moodle in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.7.3), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-1391: Use of Weak Credentials, where the product uses weak credentials (such as a default key or hard-coded password) that can be calculated, derived, reused, or guessed by an attacker. In Moodle/moodle, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

The generate_password function in Moodle through 2.4.11, 2.5.x before 2.5.9, 2.6.x before 2.6.6, and 2.7.x before 2.7.3 does not provide a sufficient number of possible temporary passwords, which allows remote attackers to obtain access via a brute-force attack.

CVE-2014-7845 Affected Moodle/moodle Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.7.32.6.62.5.9
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.7.0
< 2.7.3
2.7.3
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.6.0
< 2.6.6
2.6.6
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.5.0
< 2.5.9
2.5.9

References

NVD — CVE-2014-7845 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-7845
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/04f2e83ce76cf931e6614497c1a7cc6c8afb9454
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/3128901f99d41d9368e81ffc67f4bc0535221e02
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/40a04658232d898223462f84d8cd35510338acbe
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/ece03f3b13c5eefa7bb008401b9414eed620eebc
Moodle/moodle Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/moodle/moodle
moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.p... WEB
https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=275152
Moodle/moodle Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20150914064838/http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1031215
git.moodle.org/gw WEB
http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commit&s=MDL-47050
Moodle/moodle Security Information SECURITY
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/11/17/11

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-7845?
CVE-2014-7845 is a security vulnerability in Moodle/moodle involving Moodle Temporary Passwords are Brute Force-able under CWE-1391: Use of Weak Credentials.
Which Moodle/moodle versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.7.3, 2.6.6, 2.5.9 across affected packages: moodle/moodle.
What version fixes CVE-2014-7845?
Upgrading to 2.7.3, 2.6.6, 2.5.9 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is moodle/moodle affected?
Yes, moodle/moodle is affected in releases prior to 2.7.3, 2.6.6, 2.5.9. Upgrade your dependency to 2.7.3, 2.6.6, 2.5.9 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2014-7845?
CVE-2014-7845 is classified under CWE-1391: Use of Weak Credentials (The product uses weak credentials (such as a default key or hard-coded password) that can be calculated, derived, reused, or guessed by an attacker.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2014-7845?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for moodle/moodle'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9v64-447r-wch6",
  "modified" : "2024-01-24T21:21:56Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:12:43Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2014-7845" ],
  "summary" : "Moodle Temporary Passwords are Brute Force-able",
  "details" : "The generate_password function in Moodle through 2.4.11, 2.5.x before 2.5.9, 2.6.x before 2.6.6, and 2.7.x before 2.7.3 does not provide a sufficient number of possible temporary passwords, which allows remote attackers to obtain access via a brute-force attack.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
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      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
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      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.7.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.7.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.7.2"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
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    },
    "ranges" : [ {
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    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
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    "ranges" : [ {
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      "events" : [ {
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      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.5.8"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-7845"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/04f2e83ce76cf931e6614497c1a7cc6c8afb9454"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/3128901f99d41d9368e81ffc67f4bc0535221e02"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/40a04658232d898223462f84d8cd35510338acbe"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/ece03f3b13c5eefa7bb008401b9414eed620eebc"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=275152"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20150914064838/http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1031215"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commit&s=MDL-47050"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/11/17/11"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1391" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-08-15T22:32:55Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2014-11-24T11:59:00Z"
  }
}