MoodleCMS
CVE-2012-5479
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe Portfolio plugin in Moodle 2.1.x before 2.1.9, 2.2.x before 2.2.6, and 2.3.x before 2.3.3 allows remote authenticated users to upload and execute files via a modified Portfolio API callback.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Portfolio plugin in Moodle versions 2.1.x before 2.1.9, 2.2.x before 2.2.6, and 2.3.x before 2.3.3 contains an insecure file upload vulnerability. Authenticated users can upload arbitrary files (including executable PHP scripts) via a modified Portfolio API callback, potentially achieving remote code execution on the server.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
MoodleCMS
= 2.1.0= 2.1.1= 2.1.2= 2.1.3= 2.1.4= 2.1.5= 2.1.6= 2.1.7= 2.1.8= 2.2.0= 2.2.1= 2.2.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- Single
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine installed Moodle versionCheck the version.php file in the Moodle root directory, or access Site Administration > Server > Environment to view the installed Moodle version number.Affected if The installed version is 2.1.0 through 2.1.8, 2.2.0 through 2.2.5, or 2.3.0 through 2.3.2 (versions before 2.1.9, 2.2.6, or 2.3.3 respectively).
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Confirm Portfolio plugin is enabledNavigate to Site Administration > Plugins > Portfolios > Manage Portfolios, or check if the Portfolio API is listed as an active plugin in the Moodle plugins interface.Affected if The Portfolio plugin is listed as enabled or installed on the system.
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Verify Portfolio file upload capability existsCheck the /portfolio/ directory structure in the Moodle installation, and confirm the portfolio API callback functionality is present and accessible to authenticated users.Affected if The Portfolio plugin files exist and the file upload callback mechanism is present in the installation.
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Confirm user authentication is activeVerify that user authentication is enabled and regular users (not just administrators) can log in to the Moodle site.Affected if Authenticated non-administrative users can access the system.
The environment is affected if Moodle versions 2.1.0-2.1.8, 2.2.0-2.2.5, or 2.3.0-2.3.2 are running with the Portfolio plugin enabled and accessible to authenticated users.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade Moodle to version 2.1.9, 2.2.6, or 2.3.3 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, disable the Portfolio plugin or restrict portfolio functionality to trusted users only.
Fix this in Moodle
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-5479 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-5479 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data