MoodleCMS
CVE-2014-9060
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 LTI module in Moodle through 2.4.11, 2.5.x before 2.5.9, 2.6.x before 2.6.6, and 2.7.x before 2.7.3 does not properly restrict the parameters used in a return URL, which allows remote attackers to trigger the generation of arbitrary messages via a modified URL, related to mod/lti/locallib.php and mod/lti/return.php.
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 · moderate confidenceThe LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) module in Moodle fails to properly validate/restrict parameters in return URLs (mod/lti/return.php and locallib.php), allowing remote attackers to manipulate return URLs to trigger generation of arbitrary messages. This is a URL manipulation/open redirect vulnerability where user-controlled parameters are not sanitized before being used in the return URL.
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
<= 2.4.11= 2.5.0= 2.5.1= 2.5.2= 2.5.3= 2.5.4= 2.5.5= 2.5.6= 2.5.7= 2.5.8= 2.6.0= 2.6.1CVSS 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
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
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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Check Moodle version installedLocate and read the version.php file in your Moodle installation root directory. The variable $release or $VERSION contains the version number.Affected if The installed version is 2.4.11 or lower, OR any version from 2.5.0 through 2.5.8, OR 2.6.0 or 2.6.1
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Verify LTI module is enabledAccess the Moodle site administration or check the modules table in the Moodle database for the 'lti' module status. Alternatively, look for the mod/lti directory in your Moodle installation.Affected if The LTI module is installed and enabled on the Moodle site
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Confirm vulnerable return handler existsInspect the file mod/lti/return.php for the presence of unchecked URL parameters (such as return_url, launch_presentation_return_url, or similar) that are used in header() or redirect calls without proper validation.Affected if The return.php file contains redirect logic using user-supplied parameters without sanitization (checking for URL validation functions like validate_url or clean_param with PARAM_URL)
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Check locallib.php for unsafe URL handlingExamine mod/lti/locallib.php for functions that process return URLs, looking for instances where parameters are used directly in redirects or header calls without validation.Affected if locallib.php contains code that passes return URL parameters to redirect or header functions without proper URL validation checks
If the Moodle version falls within the affected ranges (2.4.x <= 2.4.11, 2.5.0-2.5.8, or 2.6.0-2.6.1) AND the LTI module is enabled, the environment is likely vulnerable to open redirect via URL manipulation in the LTI return handlers.
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 to Moodle versions 2.5.9+, 2.6.6+, or 2.7.3+ (or 2.4.11+ for that branch), or apply vendor-supplied patches to properly validate return URL parameters in the LTI module.
Fix this in Moodle
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-9060 — 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-2014-9060 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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