CVE-2014-3617 — moodle/moodle
Fix: moodle/moodle@1c5d2aeCVE-2014-3617 is a CWE-264 vulnerability in moodle/moodle. A fix is available for moodle/moodle — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Moodle allows discovery of an author's username
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
moodle/moodle🐘moodle/moodle🐘moodle/moodleReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
The forum_print_latest_discussions function in mod/forum/lib.php in Moodle through 2.4.11, 2.5.x before 2.5.8, 2.6.x before 2.6.5, and 2.7.x before 2.7.2 allows remote authenticated users to bypass the individual answer-posting requirement without the mod/forum:viewqandawithoutposting capability, and discover an author's username, by leveraging the student role and visiting a Q&A forum.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | moodle/moodle | all versions | 2.5.8composer require moodle/moodle:^2.5.8 |
| 🐘Packagist | moodle/moodle | ≥ 2.6.0&&< 2.6.5 | 2.6.5composer require moodle/moodle:^2.6.5 |
| 🐘Packagist | moodle/moodle | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.2 | 2.7.2composer require moodle/moodle:^2.7.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for moodle/moodle, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update moodle/moodle to 2.5.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2014-3617 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2014-3617 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2014-3617. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2014-3617 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2014-3617 across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.