CVE-2025-3644 is an authorization vulnerability identified in Moodle versions 4.1.0, 4.3.0, 4.4.0, and 4.5.0. Moodle is a widely used open-source learning management system (LMS) deployed globally, including extensively across European educational institutions and organizations. The vulnerability arises from insufficient authorization checks that allow users with limited privileges to delete course sections they are not permitted to modify. Specifically, the flaw permits users with some level of privilege (requiring at least some authenticated access) to perform unauthorized deletions of course content sections, potentially disrupting course structure and content integrity. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3, indicating a medium severity level. The vector indicates the attack can be performed remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), requires privileges (PR:L), but no user interaction (UI:N). The impact affects integrity (I:L) but not confidentiality or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The vulnerability does not allow for data disclosure or system availability disruption but can lead to unauthorized modification of course content, which may impact the educational process and trustworthiness of course materials. The issue requires patching or additional authorization checks to ensure only users with explicit permissions can delete course sections. Given Moodle’s role in managing educational content, unauthorized deletions could cause administrative overhead, loss of critical instructional content, and potential reputational damage to institutions.

For European organizations, particularly educational institutions, universities, and training providers using Moodle, this vulnerability poses a risk to the integrity of course content. Unauthorized deletion of course sections could disrupt learning activities, cause loss of important instructional materials, and require significant administrative effort to restore content and verify course integrity. While it does not directly compromise confidentiality or availability, the integrity impact can undermine trust in the LMS platform and affect compliance with educational standards and data governance policies. Institutions with large user bases and multiple roles (students, teachers, administrators) are at higher risk if role-based access controls are not properly enforced. The disruption could also affect remote and hybrid learning environments, which are prevalent in Europe. Additionally, organizations relying on Moodle for certification or compliance training may face challenges ensuring the validity and completeness of training records. The medium severity suggests that while the threat is not critical, it should be addressed promptly to avoid operational disruptions and maintain educational service quality.

1. Apply official patches or updates from Moodle as soon as they are released addressing CVE-2025-3644. 2. In the absence of patches, implement additional server-side authorization checks to ensure that only users with explicit permissions to modify or delete course sections can perform these actions. 3. Review and tighten role-based access control (RBAC) policies within Moodle, ensuring that user roles are assigned with the principle of least privilege. 4. Conduct audits of user permissions and recent course section deletions to detect any unauthorized activity. 5. Enable detailed logging and monitoring of course content modification actions to facilitate rapid detection and response. 6. Educate administrators and instructors on the importance of verifying user permissions and monitoring for suspicious activity. 7. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for privileged users to reduce the risk of compromised accounts being used to exploit this vulnerability. 8. Regularly back up course content and configurations to enable quick restoration in case of unauthorized deletions. 9. For organizations with custom Moodle plugins or integrations, review these components to ensure they do not bypass or weaken authorization controls.