CVE-2021-43560: Moodle/moodle Moodle Insecure Direct Object Reference Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g39c-mccf-rxjv
CVSS 5.3
CWE-668
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-43560 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) moodle insecure direct object reference vulnerability (CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere) affecting Moodle/moodle libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves moodle insecure direct object reference (idor) in a calendar web service. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.9.11, 3.10.8, 3.11.4.

CVE-2021-43560 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-43560
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g39c-mccf-rxjv
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere
Affected Product Moodle/moodle
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-43560

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: 3.9.11
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.9.11
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.10.8
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.10.8
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.11.4
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.11.4
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-2021-43560, 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 3.9.11), 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-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere, where the product exposes a resource to the wrong control sphere, providing unintended actors with inappropriate access to the resource. 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

A flaw was found in Moodle in versions 3.11 to 3.11.3, 3.10 to 3.10.7, 3.9 to 3.9.10 and earlier unsupported versions. Insufficient capability checks made it possible to fetch other users' calendar action events.

CVE-2021-43560 Affected Moodle/moodle Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.9.113.10.83.11.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
moodle/moodle
Packagist
≥ 3.9
< 3.9.11
3.9.11
moodle/moodle
Packagist
≥ 3.10
< 3.10.8
3.10.8
moodle/moodle
Packagist
≥ 3.11
< 3.11.4
3.11.4

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-43560?
CVE-2021-43560 is a security vulnerability in Moodle/moodle involving Moodle Insecure direct object reference (IDOR) in a calendar web service under CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere.
Which Moodle/moodle versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.9.11, 3.10.8, 3.11.4 across affected packages: moodle/moodle.
What version fixes CVE-2021-43560?
Upgrading to 3.9.11, 3.10.8, 3.11.4 (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 3.9.11, 3.10.8, 3.11.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.9.11, 3.10.8, 3.11.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-43560?
CVE-2021-43560 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-43560?
CVE-2021-43560 is classified under CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere (The product exposes a resource to the wrong control sphere, providing unintended actors with inappropriate access to the resource.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2021-43560?
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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-g39c-mccf-rxjv",
  "modified" : "2024-04-23T23:38:42Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T19:21:10Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-43560" ],
  "summary" : "Moodle Insecure direct object reference (IDOR) in a calendar web service",
  "details" : "A flaw was found in Moodle in versions 3.11 to 3.11.3, 3.10 to 3.10.7, 3.9 to 3.9.10 and earlier unsupported versions. Insufficient capability checks made it possible to fetch other users' calendar action events.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.9"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.9.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.10"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.10.8"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.11"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.11.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-43560"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2021519"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=429100"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-668" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-23T23:38:42Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-11-22T16:15:00Z"
  }
}