high CVSS 7.5

CVE-2025-32044·PHP vulnerability

A flaw has been identified in Moodle where, on certain sites, unauthenticated users could retrieve sensitive user data—including names, contact information, and hashed passwords—via stack traces returned by specific API calls. Sites with PHP configured with zend.exception_ignore_args = 1 in the php.ini file are not affected by this vulnerability.

Severity
high
Software
PHP
Fixed in
4.5.3
Published
2025-04-25

Affected versions

From: 4.5.0

Until: 4.5.3

Fixed in: 4.5.3

How to fix this CVE

Update PHP to version 4.5.3 or later to address this information disclosure vulnerability in Moodle's API endpoints. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to extract sensitive user data through error messages when exception argument handling is enabled. Immediately patch all affected servers and review your PHP configuration to ensure proper error suppression is in place.

sudo dnf update php

Defensia detects this vulnerability

What an exploitation attempt looks like

Sample log line indicative of exploitation attempts:

POST|GET /webservice/rest/server.php.*exception.*stack.*trace|password|email|name

WAF mitigation (if patching is not yet possible)

Add this rule to your WAF to block exploitation attempts while you schedule the patch. 

Implement request filtering to block API calls returning stack trace data; restrict /webservice/rest/server.php access to authenticated users only; configure web server error suppression to prevent exception details in HTTP responses.

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check installed PHP version with: php -v
  2. Step 2: Verify Moodle installation version and review installed plugins: grep -r 'version' /var/www/html/moodle/version.php 2>/dev/null || find /path/to/moodle -name 'version.php' -type f
  3. Step 3: Check PHP configuration for exception handling: grep 'zend.exception_ignore_args' /etc/php/*/apache2/php.ini && grep 'zend.exception_ignore_args' /etc/php/*/cli/php.ini
  4. Step 4: After patching, run: php -v and confirm version is 4.5.3 or higher, then restart PHP-FPM: sudo systemctl restart php-fpm

FAQ

What is CVE-2025-32044?

CVE-2025-32044 is an information disclosure flaw in Moodle that allows unauthenticated users to retrieve sensitive data such as usernames, email addresses, and password hashes from API stack traces when PHP is configured with exception argument logging enabled.

Is CVE-2025-32044 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2025-32044 is not currently listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and no public exploits have been published, though the vulnerability remains a significant risk to exposed Moodle instances.

What versions of PHP are affected by CVE-2025-32044?

Moodle versions 4.5.0 through 4.5.2 are affected. The vulnerability is fixed in version 4.5.3 and later.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2025-32044?

Run: php -v to check your PHP version, then verify your Moodle version in /var/www/moodle/version.php. If running 4.5.0–4.5.2 with zend.exception_ignore_args != 1 in php.ini, you are vulnerable.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2025-32044?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If PHP is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2025-32044 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

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References

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