CVE-2016-8642: Moodle/moodle Moodle Unauthenticated Access Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x32v-7qw8-cpq8
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-284
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2016-8642 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) moodle unauthenticated access vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Moodle/moodle libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves moodle unauthenticated access. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.1.3, 3.0.7, 2.9.9, 2.7.17.

CVE-2016-8642 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2016-8642
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x32v-7qw8-cpq8
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
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:3.0/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-2016-8642

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: 3.1.3 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.1.3
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.0.7 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.0.7
moodle/moodle fixed: 2.9.9 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.9.9
moodle/moodle fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to Latest secure release
moodle/moodle fixed: 2.7.17 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.7.17
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-2016-8642, 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 3.1.3), 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-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. 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

In Moodle 2.x and 3.x, the question engine allows access to files that should not be available.

CVE-2016-8642 Affected Moodle/moodle Versions

5 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.1.33.0.72.9.92.7.17
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 3.1.0
< 3.1.3
3.1.3
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 3.0.0
< 3.0.7
3.0.7
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.9.0
< 2.9.9
2.9.9
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.8.0
≤ 2.8.12
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.7.0
< 2.7.17
2.7.17

References

NVD — CVE-2016-8642 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8642
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/cf0b9432d81ba9d5763e4894f82c95ca9fbf548f
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=343275
Moodle/moodle Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20210123193602/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94441

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-8642?
CVE-2016-8642 is a security vulnerability in Moodle/moodle involving Moodle Unauthenticated Access under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Moodle/moodle versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.1.3, 3.0.7, 2.9.9, 2.7.17 across affected packages: moodle/moodle.
What version fixes CVE-2016-8642?
Upgrading to 3.1.3, 3.0.7, 2.9.9, 2.7.17 (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 3.1.3, 3.0.7, 2.9.9, Latest secure release, 2.7.17. Upgrade your dependency to 3.1.3, 3.0.7, 2.9.9, Latest secure release, 2.7.17 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-8642?
CVE-2016-8642 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2016-8642?
CVE-2016-8642 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2016-8642?
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-x32v-7qw8-cpq8",
  "modified" : "2023-11-02T13:25:12Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:12:40Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2016-8642" ],
  "summary" : "Moodle Unauthenticated Access",
  "details" : "In Moodle 2.x and 3.x, the question engine allows access to files that should not be available.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/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" : "3.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.1.2"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.7"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.0.6"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.9.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.9.9"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.9.8"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.8.0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2.8.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.7.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.7.17"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.7.16"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8642"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/cf0b9432d81ba9d5763e4894f82c95ca9fbf548f"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=343275"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20210123193602/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94441"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-28T23:17:40Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-01-20T08:59:00Z"
  }
}