MoodleCMS
CVE-2024-38275
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 cURL wrapper in Moodle retained the original request headers when following redirects, so HTTP authorization header information could be unintentionally sent in requests to redirect URLs.
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 cURL wrapper in Moodle improperly retains HTTP authorization headers when following redirects (3xx responses), causing sensitive authentication credentials to be unintentionally sent to redirect target URLs. This allows potential credential leakage to third-party servers when Moodle performs HTTP redirects.
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
< 4.1.11>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.8>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.5= 4.4.0CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 installed Moodle versionAccess Site Administration > Server > Environment or check version.php in the Moodle root directory (look for $version and $release variables)Affected if Version is < 4.1.11 OR >= 4.2.0 and < 4.2.8 OR >= 4.3.0 and < 4.3.5 OR = 4.4.0
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Identify HTTP redirect usage with authenticationReview Moodle logs and proxy configurations for any 3xx redirects occurring during authentication flows (check /var/log/httpd/error.log or /var/log/nginx/error.log, and Moodle's own logs in /moodledata/log/)Affected if HTTP redirects are logged and the system uses authentication mechanisms that could expose Authorization headers
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Verify curl wrapper is in useSearch Moodle codebase for curl_exec, curl_setopt with CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, or custom HTTP client wrappers in /lib/curlib.php or /lib/filelib.phpAffected if The Moodle curl library is being used with redirect following enabled (CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION not explicitly disabled)
If your Moodle version falls within any of the affected ranges listed and the system performs HTTP redirects during authenticated requests, your environment is likely affected by this credential leakage vulnerability.
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.
dbcve · scoped4.1.114.2.84.3.5
Moodle should be updated to a version that strips authorization and other sensitive headers before following redirects, ensuring credentials are not leaked to redirect destinations.
Upgrade to 4.1.11, 4.2.8, 4.3.5, or 4.4.1 (depending on your branch)
- Backup your Moodle database and codebase before proceeding
- Download the appropriate fixed Moodle version for your branch: 4.1.11+ for 4.1.x, 4.2.8+ for 4.2.x, 4.3.5+ for 4.3.x, or 4.4.1+ for 4.4.x
- Extract the new Moodle files to your server, replacing the existing installation
- Ensure config.php is preserved in the new installation
- Run the Moodle upgrade via command line (php admin/cli/upgrade.php) or through the web interface
- Clear all Moodle caches after upgrade completes
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
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-2024-38275 — 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-2024-38275 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data