CVE-2012-6112: Moodle/moodle PHP Spellchecker Addon For TinyMCE Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-fx5h-3786-h2w6
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Advisory Summary

CVE-2012-6112 is a MODERATE php spellchecker addon for tinymce vulnerability (General Security Weakness) affecting Moodle/moodle libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves php spellchecker addon for tinymce allows attackers to trigger arbitrary outbound http requests. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.10, 2.2.7, 2.3.4, 2.4.1.

CVE-2012-6112 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2012-6112
GHSA Identifier GHSA-fx5h-3786-h2w6
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification General Security Weakness
Affected Product Moodle/moodle
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2012-6112

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: 2.1.10 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.1.10
moodle/moodle fixed: 2.2.7 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.2.7
moodle/moodle fixed: 2.3.4 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.3.4
moodle/moodle fixed: 2.4.1 
Upgrade moodle/moodle to 2.4.1
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-2012-6112, 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 2.1.10), 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 General Security Weakness. 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

classes/GoogleSpell.php in the PHP Spellchecker (aka Google Spellchecker) addon before 2.0.6.1 for TinyMCE, as used in Moodle 2.1.x before 2.1.10, 2.2.x before 2.2.7, 2.3.x before 2.3.4, and 2.4.x before 2.4.1 and other products, does not properly handle control characters, which allows remote attackers to trigger arbitrary outbound HTTP requests via a crafted string.

CVE-2012-6112 Affected Moodle/moodle Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.102.2.72.3.42.4.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.10
2.1.10
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.7
2.2.7
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.4
2.3.4
moodle/moodle
 Packagist
≥ 2.4.0
< 2.4.1
All 1 versions
2.4.0
2.4.1

References

NVD — CVE-2012-6112 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-6112
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/6fac8f7f04c9fe7f8bbb54a9c00ec5f9ea4f09e0
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/9803d8fc3ce08c8f8b88ad3a95d9a7c97678a3e3
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/a3243760c243ddad76e91840134009c3681cb16a
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/f938b1a89b8f381129120a37915d1b345333b3fb
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/tinymce/tinymce_spellchecker_php/commit/22910187bfb9edae90c26e10100d8145b505b974
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=220157
web.archive.org/web/20121015010345/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20121015010345/http://www.tinymce.com/develop/changelog/?type=phpspell
web.archive.org/web/20121129021911/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20121129021911/http://www.tinymce.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=30036
git.moodle.org/gw WEB
http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commit&s=MDL-37283
Moodle/moodle Security Information SECURITY
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/01/21/1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2012-6112?
CVE-2012-6112 is a security vulnerability in Moodle/moodle involving PHP Spellchecker addon for TinyMCE allows attackers to trigger arbitrary outbound HTTP requests under General Security Weakness.
Which Moodle/moodle versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.10, 2.2.7, 2.3.4, 2.4.1 across affected packages: moodle/moodle.
What version fixes CVE-2012-6112?
Upgrading to 2.1.10, 2.2.7, 2.3.4, 2.4.1 (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 2.1.10, 2.2.7, 2.3.4, 2.4.1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.10, 2.2.7, 2.3.4, 2.4.1 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2012-6112?
CVE-2012-6112 is classified under General Security Weakness.
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2012-6112?
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-fx5h-3786-h2w6",
  "modified" : "2024-01-25T20:27:58Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:12:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2012-6112" ],
  "summary" : "PHP Spellchecker addon for TinyMCE allows attackers to trigger arbitrary outbound HTTP requests",
  "details" : "classes/GoogleSpell.php in the PHP Spellchecker (aka Google Spellchecker) addon before 2.0.6.1 for TinyMCE, as used in Moodle 2.1.x before 2.1.10, 2.2.x before 2.2.7, 2.3.x before 2.3.4, and 2.4.x before 2.4.1 and other products, does not properly handle control characters, which allows remote attackers to trigger arbitrary outbound HTTP requests via a crafted string.",
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    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle/commit/f938b1a89b8f381129120a37915d1b345333b3fb"
  }, {
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    "url" : "https://github.com/moodle/moodle"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220157"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20121015010345/http://www.tinymce.com/develop/changelog/?type=phpspell"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20121129021911/http://www.tinymce.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=30036"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commit&s=MDL-37283"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/01/21/1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-01-25T20:27:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2013-01-27T22:55:00Z"
  }
}