CVE-2018-16854: Moodle/moodle Moodle Login CSRF Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xj5f-qv37-r9jc
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-352
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-16854 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) moodle login csrf vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)) affecting Moodle/moodle libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves moodle login csrf vulnerability in login form. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.1.15, 3.3.9, 3.4.6, 3.5.3.

CVE-2018-16854 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-16854
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xj5f-qv37-r9jc
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
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:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

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

How to Fix CVE-2018-16854

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: 3.1.15 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.1.15
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.3.9 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.3.9
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.4.6 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.4.6
moodle/moodle fixed: 3.5.3 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 3.5.3
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-2018-16854, 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 3.1.15), 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-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), where the web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated 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

A flaw was found in moodle versions 3.5 to 3.5.2, 3.4 to 3.4.5, 3.3 to 3.3.8, 3.1 to 3.1.14 and earlier. The login form is not protected by a token to prevent login cross-site request forgery. Fixed versions include 3.6, 3.5.3, 3.4.6, 3.3.9 and 3.1.15.

CVE-2018-16854 Affected Moodle/moodle Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.1.153.3.93.4.63.5.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 3.1
< 3.1.15
3.1.15
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 3.3
< 3.3.9
3.3.9
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 3.4
< 3.4.6
3.4.6
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 3.5
< 3.5.3
3.5.3

References

NVD — CVE-2018-16854 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16854
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16854
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=378731
git.moodle.org/gw WEB
http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commit&s=MDL-63183
Moodle/moodle Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106017
Moodle/moodle Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1042154

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16854?
CVE-2018-16854 is a security vulnerability in Moodle/moodle involving Moodle Login CSRF vulnerability in login form under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF).
Which Moodle/moodle versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.1.15, 3.3.9, 3.4.6, 3.5.3 across affected packages: moodle/moodle.
What version fixes CVE-2018-16854?
Upgrading to 3.1.15, 3.3.9, 3.4.6, 3.5.3 (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 3.1.15, 3.3.9, 3.4.6, 3.5.3. Upgrade your dependency to 3.1.15, 3.3.9, 3.4.6, 3.5.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-16854?
CVE-2018-16854 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-16854?
CVE-2018-16854 is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) (The web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2018-16854?
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-xj5f-qv37-r9jc",
  "modified" : "2024-04-23T23:41:43Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:34:04Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-16854" ],
  "summary" : "Moodle Login CSRF vulnerability in login form",
  "details" : "A flaw was found in moodle versions 3.5 to 3.5.2, 3.4 to 3.4.5, 3.3 to 3.3.8, 3.1 to 3.1.14 and earlier. The login form is not protected by a token to prevent login cross-site request forgery. Fixed versions include 3.6, 3.5.3, 3.4.6, 3.3.9 and 3.1.15.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.15"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
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      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.3"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.3.9"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.4"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.4.6"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
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      "name" : "moodle/moodle"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.5"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.5.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16854"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16854"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=378731"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commit&s=MDL-63183"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106017"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1042154"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-352" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-23T23:41:42Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-11-26T17:29:00Z"
  }
}