Authenticated code execution via unsafe reference deserialization
Published Apr 25, 2025 · Updated Apr 28, 2025
Code injection in affected Moodle LMS releases allows remote authenticated users to execute server-side code via Dropbox file references. The Dropbox repository's get_reference_details(), fix_old_style_reference(), and unpack_reference() paths pass stored reference data to PHP unserialize(), permitting object instantiation from attacker-controlled serialized input. Exploitation requires teacher or manager privileges and an enabled Dropbox repository, and successful object injection executes code with the web application's privileges.
Summary
What happened
Code injection in affected Moodle LMS releases allows remote authenticated users to execute server-side code via Dropbox file references. The Dropbox repository's get_reference_details(), fix_old_style_reference(), and unpack_reference() paths pass stored reference data to PHP unserialize(), permitting object instantiation from attacker-controlled serialized input. Exploitation requires teacher or manager privileges and an enabled Dropbox repository, and successful object injection executes code with the web application's privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-3641
- Published
- Apr 25, 2025
- Updated
- Apr 28, 2025
- Vendor
- Moodle
- Product
- Moodle LMS
- Classifications
- CWE-94, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 25, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 28, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4.1.0 <4.1.18
- Affected versionversion=4.3.0 <4.3.12
- Affected versionversion=4.4.0 <4.4.8
- Affected versionversion=4.5.0 <4.5.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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