# CVE-2023-30943: Moodle: tinymce loaders susceptible to arbitrary folder creation

> Remote attackers can create arbitrary folders on the server via crafted HTTP requests in TinyMCE loaders, requiring patching of Moodle installations.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 May 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-moodle-2023-30943, GHSA-22gj-8qj2-fj46, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-30943

## What is CVE-2023-30943?

CVE-2023-30943 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fedoraproject Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux, published on 2 May 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The vulnerability was found Moodle which exists because the application allows a user to control path of the older to create in TinyMCE loaders. A remote user can send a specially crafted HTTP request and create arbitrary folders on the system.

Weakness: CWE-610 (Externally Controlled Reference to a Resource in Another Sphere), CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-30943?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including moodle/moodle and moodle. It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `moodle/moodle` | Packagist | All versions | 4.2.0-rc2 |
| `moodle/moodle` | Packagist | All versions | 4.2.0-rc2 |
| `moodle` | Bitnami | From 4.1.0 | 4.1.3 |

Products: Fedoraproject Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Moodle Moodle.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-30943?

Upgrade moodle/moodle to 4.2.0-rc2 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-30943 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-30943 exists.

Public exploit code:

- This repository contains combined exploits for two vulnerabilities in Moodle, a widely used open-source learning management system (LMS) (github_poc): https://github.com/d0rb/CVE-2023-30943
- A Python-based tool to detect the CVE-2023-30943 vulnerability in Moodle, which allows unauthorized folder creation via specially crafted requests in TinyMCE loaders. (github_poc): https://github.com/Chocapikk/CVE-2023-30943
- CVE-2023-30943 (Moodle XSS) (github_poc): https://github.com/RubyCat1337/CVE-2023-30943
- Moodle - Cross-Site Scripting/Remote Code Execution (nuclei): http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-30943.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Fedoraproject Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux

- [CVE-2023-34152](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-34152/): Command injection in ImageMagick (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-4170](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4170/): Code injection in rxvt-unicode (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-40315](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40315/): Moodle Minor SQL injection risk in admin user browsing (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-45152](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-45152/): Moodle blind Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in LTI provider library (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2022-24882](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24882/): Server side NTLM does not properly check parameters in FreeRDP (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-30943 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-30943 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fedoraproject Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux, published on 2 May 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-30943 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- moodle/moodle (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 4.2.0-rc2
- moodle/moodle (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 4.2.0-rc2
- moodle (Bitnami): affected from 4.1.0; fixed in 4.1.3

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-2023-30943/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-30943/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-30943
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-30943
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-30943

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-30943/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.