CVE-2017-12156 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Moodle 3.x has a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the contact form on the "non-respondents" page, allowing for potential attacks.

Understanding CVE-2017-12156

This CVE involves an XSS vulnerability in Moodle 3.x, specifically in the contact form on the "non-respondents" page.

What is CVE-2017-12156?

A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the contact form on the "non-respondents" page of Moodle 3.x, potentially enabling malicious actors to execute arbitrary script code.

The Impact of CVE-2017-12156

This vulnerability could be exploited by attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, leading to various attacks such as session hijacking, defacement, or data theft.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-12156

This section provides more in-depth technical information about the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The XSS vulnerability in Moodle 3.x allows attackers to inject and execute malicious scripts through the contact form on the "non-respondents" page.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Moodle 3.x
Version: Moodle 3.x

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious scripts into the contact form on the "non-respondents" page, which can then be executed when other users access the affected page.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2017-12156 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches or updates provided by Moodle to address the XSS vulnerability.
Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or submitting sensitive information on Moodle.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit Moodle installations for security vulnerabilities.
Implement web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms to mitigate XSS risks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that Moodle 3.x is updated to the latest version that includes fixes for the XSS vulnerability.