CVE-2020-10738: Moodle/moodle Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vr6v-g96p-cjc3
CVSS 8.8
CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-10738 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Moodle/moodle libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves moodle vulnerable to rce. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.8.3, 3.7.6, 3.6.10, 3.5.12.

CVE-2020-10738 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-10738
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vr6v-g96p-cjc3
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Moodle/moodle
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2020-10738

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: 3.8.3
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.8.3
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.7.6
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.7.6
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.6.10
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.6.10
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.5.12
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.5.12
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-2020-10738, 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 3.8.3), 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-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. 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 versions 3.8 before 3.8.3, 3.7 before 3.7.6, 3.6 before 3.6.10, 3.5 before 3.5.12 and earlier unsupported versions. It was possible to create a SCORM package in such a way that when added to a course, it could be interacted with via web services in order to achieve remote code execution.

CVE-2020-10738 Affected Moodle/moodle Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.8.33.7.63.6.103.5.12
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
moodle/moodle
Packagist
≥ 3.8
< 3.8.3
3.8.3
moodle/moodle
Packagist
≥ 3.7
< 3.7.6
3.7.6
moodle/moodle
Packagist
≥ 3.6
< 3.6.10
3.6.10
moodle/moodle
Packagist
≥ 3.5
< 3.5.12
3.5.12

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-10738?
CVE-2020-10738 is a security vulnerability in Moodle/moodle involving Moodle vulnerable to RCE under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Moodle/moodle versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.8.3, 3.7.6, 3.6.10, 3.5.12 across affected packages: moodle/moodle.
What version fixes CVE-2020-10738?
Upgrading to 3.8.3, 3.7.6, 3.6.10, 3.5.12 (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 3.8.3, 3.7.6, 3.6.10, 3.5.12. Upgrade your dependency to 3.8.3, 3.7.6, 3.6.10, 3.5.12 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-10738?
CVE-2020-10738 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-10738?
CVE-2020-10738 is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2020-10738?
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-vr6v-g96p-cjc3",
  "modified" : "2023-08-21T18:35:49Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:18:14Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-10738" ],
  "summary" : "Moodle vulnerable to RCE",
  "details" : "A flaw was found in Moodle versions 3.8 before 3.8.3, 3.7 before 3.7.6, 3.6 before 3.6.10, 3.5 before 3.5.12 and earlier unsupported versions. It was possible to create a SCORM package in such a way that when added to a course, it could be interacted with via web services in order to achieve remote code execution.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.8"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.8.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.8.2"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.7"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.7.6"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.7.5"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.6"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.6.10"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.6.9"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.5"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.5.12"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.5.11"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10738"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/2cd534a7df3867813e3aad42db615865149a58c6"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-10738"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=403513"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commit&s=MDL-68410"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-13T01:18:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-05-21T16:15:00Z"
  }
}