VulnerabilityPublished 20 Nov 2024

CVE-2024-45691: moodle · lesson activity password bypass through php loose comparison

Affects moodleSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.4 Medium · fixed in 4.4.3 : update moodle when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.4Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 35% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 4.4.3, 4.3.7, 4.2.10 +1

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Nov 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade moodle to 4.4.3, 4.3.7, 4.2.10 or 4.1.13.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
moodle	Affected <4.1.13 >=4.2 <4.2.10 >=4.3 <4.3.7 >=4.4 <4.4.3	Fixed in 4.4.3 4.3.7 4.2.10 4.1.13
GitHubmoodle`pkg:github/moodle`Other threats	Affected <4.1.13 >=4.2 <4.2.10 >=4.3 <4.3.7 >=4.4 <4.4.3	Fixed in 4.1.13 4.2.10 4.3.7 4.4.3

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

1. Immediately review and avoid using password restrictions on lesson activities that rely on the vulnerable password-checking logic, especially those using 'magic hash' values. 2. Monitor Moodle access logs for unusual or unauthorized access attempts to restricted lessons. 3. Apply strict input validation and ensure password comparisons use strict equality checks rather than loose comparisons in custom or third-party plugins. 4. 5. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Moodle access to add an additional security layer beyond password restrictions. 6. Educate instructors and administrators about the vulnerability and encourage the use of alternative access control mechanisms until patched. 7. If patching is delayed, temporarily disable password restrictions on lessons or replace them with role-based access controls to mitigate risk. 8. Conduct security audits and penetration testing focused on authentication and access control mechanisms within Moodle environments.

Description

A flaw was found in Moodle. When restricting access to a lesson activity with a password, certain passwords could be bypassed or less secure due to a loose comparison in the password-checking logic. This issue only affected passwords set to "magic hash" values.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-45691 is unauthorized access to password-restricted lesson activities within Moodle. This can lead to confidentiality breaches where sensitive educational content or student data is exposed to unauthorized users. Integrity may also be compromised if attackers modify lesson content or progress data. Although availability is not affected, the breach of access controls undermines trust in the learning platform and could disrupt educational processes. Organizations relying on Moodle for critical training or compliance education may face regulatory or reputational consequences if sensitive information is leaked. Since the vulnerability requires only low privileges and no user interaction, exploitation could be automated or performed by relatively unskilled attackers. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as details become public. The widespread use of Moodle in educational institutions, government agencies, and enterprises globally increases the potential scope of impact.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 28 Feb 2026, 07:02 UTC

Technical details

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