CVE-2024-28593: Cross-site Scripting in Moodle Chat
Summary
CVE-2024-28593: Cross-site Scripting in Moodle Chat. Affects moodle/moodle versions < 4.3.3. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- moodle · Bitnami
The same CVE-2024-28593 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
Moodle is an open-source learning management system (LMS) used by educational institutions to create online courses. It provides various activities for students, including the Chat activity, which allows real-time communication between participants. However, the Chat activity in Moodle 4.3.3 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. This means that students can insert potentially malicious HTML elements or content into the chat, leading to unwanted behavior or performance degradation. It is worth noting that the vendor plans to remove the Chat activity from standard Moodle.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in Moodle Chat allows students to insert HTML A or IMG elements, or HTML content that can be used for malicious purposes. This can include inserting images, playing sounds, or creating differently colored and sized text. As a result, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code or steal sensitive information from other users. The impact of this vulnerability can range from defacement of the chat interface to compromising user accounts and compromising the overall security of the Moodle instance.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As the vendor plans to remove the Chat activity, there is no specific workaround provided. However, administrators can disable the Chat activity in the Moodle instance to mitigate the risk of exploitation. This can be done by navigating to the Moodle administration settings and disabling the Chat activity module.
Conclusion
The Chat activity in Moodle 4.3.3 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, allowing students to insert potentially malicious HTML elements or content. The impact of this vulnerability can range from performance degradation to compromising user accounts and the overall security of the Moodle instance. It is advised to follow the vendor's guidance and migrate to alternative communication tools within Moodle or external chat applications. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for moodle/moodle →
FAQ
Moodle is an open-source learning management system (LMS) used by educational institutions to create online courses.
The Chat activity in Moodle allows real-time communication between participants in a course.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code, steal sensitive information, or perform actions on behalf of other users within the Moodle instance.
To mitigate the risk of exploitation, it is recommended to disable the Chat activity in the Moodle instance or upgrade to a version of Moodle that no longer includes the Chat activity.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for moodle/moodle.
