# CVE-2022-35650: Moodle Arbitrary file read when importing lesson questions

> Remote attackers with teacher or admin privileges can exploit insufficient path checks during lesson question imports to read arbitrary files.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Jul 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-moodle-2022-35650, GHSA-pgm5-cr62-prxq, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-35650

## What is CVE-2022-35650?

CVE-2022-35650 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fedoraproject Fedora, published on 25 Jul 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The vulnerability was found in Moodle, occurs due to input validation error when importing lesson questions. This insufficient path checks results in arbitrary file read risk. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to perform directory traversal attacks. The capability to access this feature is only available to teachers, managers and admins by default.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-35650?

7 open source packages ship an affected version, including moodle/moodle and moodle. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `moodle/moodle` | Packagist | From 3.11 | 3.11.8 |
| `moodle/moodle` | Packagist | From 3.11 | 3.11.8 |
| `moodle/moodle` | Packagist | From 3.9 | 3.9.15 |
| `moodle/moodle` | Packagist | From 3.9 | 3.9.15 |
| `moodle/moodle` | Packagist | From 4.0 | 4.0.2 |
| `moodle/moodle` | Packagist | From 4.0 | 4.0.2 |
| `moodle` | Bitnami | From 3.9.0 | 3.9.15, 3.11.8, 4.0.2 |

Products: Fedoraproject Fedora, Moodle Moodle.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-35650?

Upgrade moodle/moodle to a fixed version for your release line: 3.11.8, 3.9.15 or 4.0.2.

## Is CVE-2022-35650 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-35650 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Exploit for CVE-2022-35650, a Moodle Arbitrary File Read. (github_poc): https://github.com/Gr4y-r0se/CVE-2022-35650

## Other vulnerabilities in Fedoraproject Fedora

- [CVE-2024-4577](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4577/): PHP-CGI OS Command Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-39226](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-39226/): Grafana Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-5544](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5544/): VMware ESXi and Horizon DaaS OpenSLP Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-4947](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4947/): Google Chromium V8 Type Confusion (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-4671](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4671/): Google Chromium Visuals Use-After-Free (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-35650 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-35650 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fedoraproject Fedora, published on 25 Jul 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-35650 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- moodle/moodle (Packagist): affected from 3.11; fixed in 3.11.8
- moodle/moodle (Packagist): affected from 3.11; fixed in 3.11.8
- moodle/moodle (Packagist): affected from 3.9; fixed in 3.9.15
- moodle/moodle (Packagist): affected from 3.9; fixed in 3.9.15
- moodle/moodle (Packagist): affected from 4.0; fixed in 4.0.2
- moodle/moodle (Packagist): affected from 4.0; fixed in 4.0.2
- moodle (Bitnami): affected from 3.9.0; fixed in 3.9.15, 3.11.8, 4.0.2

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35650/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35650/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-35650
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-35650
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-35650

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35650/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.