CVE-2022-0983 Overview
An SQL injection vulnerability was identified in the Moodle learning management system, specifically within the Badges code relating to configuring criteria. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with teacher or manager roles to inject malicious SQL queries through the badge configuration interface, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion within the underlying database.
Critical Impact
Authenticated users with teacher/manager capabilities can execute arbitrary SQL commands against the Moodle database, potentially compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive educational data.
Affected Products
- Moodle LMS (multiple versions)
- Fedora 35 and 36
- Fedora Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) 7.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2022-03-25 - CVE-2022-0983 published to NVD
- 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2022-0983
Vulnerability Analysis
This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists within Moodle's badge criteria configuration functionality. The vulnerable code fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input when processing badge configuration parameters, allowing malicious SQL statements to be injected and executed against the backend database.
The attack requires network access and authenticated credentials with at least teacher-level permissions. While this limits the attack surface to authenticated users, the default Moodle configuration grants these capabilities to teachers and managers, who may be numerous in large educational institutions. Once exploited, an attacker can achieve full database compromise, extracting sensitive student data, grades, personal information, and potentially escalating privileges within the system.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and lack of parameterized queries in the Badges module code. When configuring badge criteria, user-supplied parameters are concatenated directly into SQL statements rather than being properly escaped or bound as parameters. This classic SQL injection pattern allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and execute arbitrary database commands.
Attack Vector
The vulnerability is exploitable over the network by any authenticated user with teacher or manager capabilities. The attacker navigates to the badge configuration interface and injects SQL payloads into the criteria configuration fields. Since no user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own actions, and the attack complexity is low, exploitation is straightforward for anyone with the requisite access level.
The attack flow involves crafting malicious input containing SQL syntax that breaks out of the original query context, then appending arbitrary SQL commands. These commands execute with the database privileges of the Moodle application, typically allowing full read/write access to all Moodle data.
Detection Methods for CVE-2022-0983
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual or malformed entries in web server access logs related to badge configuration endpoints
- Database query logs showing unexpected SQL syntax such as UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences (--, /*)
- Unexplained changes to badge configurations or criteria
- Evidence of data exfiltration attempts in database audit logs
Detection Strategies
- Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with SQL injection detection signatures monitoring badge-related API endpoints
- Enable database query logging and alert on queries containing SQL injection patterns
- Implement application-level monitoring for anomalous badge configuration activities
- Review Moodle access logs for suspicious teacher/manager account behavior
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable comprehensive audit logging for all badge module activities within Moodle
- Configure database monitoring to detect unusual query patterns or execution times
- Monitor for elevated database error rates which may indicate injection attempts
- Implement user behavior analytics to detect anomalous actions by teacher accounts
How to Mitigate CVE-2022-0983
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Moodle to the latest patched version immediately
- Review database and application logs for evidence of exploitation
- Audit all teacher and manager accounts for suspicious activity
- Consider temporarily restricting badge configuration capabilities until patching is complete
Patch Information
Moodle has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Administrators should consult the Red Hat Bug Report #2064119 and Fedora Package Announcement for specific version information and update instructions. Apply all available security patches to remediate this vulnerability.
Workarounds
- Restrict badge configuration capabilities to highly trusted administrators only via role permissions
- Implement additional input validation at the reverse proxy or WAF level
- Enable database-level query logging and monitoring for SQL injection patterns
- Consider disabling the Badges feature temporarily if not critical to operations
# Example: Restrict badge capabilities in Moodle
# Navigate to Site Administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles
# Edit Teacher role and remove 'moodle/badges:configurecriteria' capability
# This limits exposure while awaiting patch deployment
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
