CVE-2021-27131
Moodle vulnerable to stored Cross-site Scripting
Moodle 3.10.1 is vulnerable to persistent/stored cross-site scripting (XSS) due to the improper input sanitization on the "Additional HTML Section" via "Header and Footer" parameter in /admin/settings.php. This vulnerability is leading an attacker to steal admin and all user account cookies by storing the malicious XSS payload in Header and Footer. NOTE: this is disputed by the vendor because the "Additional HTML Section" for "Header and Footer" can only be supplied by an administrator, who is intentionally allowed to enter unsanitized input (e.g., site-specific JavaScript).
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
Moodle 3.10.1 is vulnerable to persistent/stored cross-site scripting (XSS) due to the improper input sanitization on the "Additional HTML Section" via "Header and Footer" parameter in /admin/settings.php. This vulnerability is leading an attacker to steal admin and all user account cookies by storing the malicious XSS payload in Header and Footer. NOTE: this is disputed by the vendor because the "Additional HTML Section" for "Header and Footer" can only be supplied by an administrator, who is intentionally allowed to enter unsanitized input (e.g., site-specific JavaScript).
- Record
CVE-2021-27131- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Moodle 3.10.1 is vulnerable to persistent/stored cross-site scripting (XSS) due to the improper input sanitization on the "Additional HTML Section" via "Header and Footer" parameter in /admin/settings.php. This vulnerability is leading an attacker to steal admin and all user account cookies by storing the malicious XSS payload in Header and Footer. NOTE: this is disputed by the vendor because the "Additional HTML Section" for "Header and Footer" can only be supplied by an administrator, who is intentionally allowed to enter unsanitized input (e.g., site-specific JavaScript).
- Record
CVE-2021-27131- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-1633 No score
Moodle 3.10.1 is vulnerable to persistent/stored cross-site scripting (XSS) due to the improper input sanitization on the "Additional HTML Section" via "Header and Footer" parameter in /admin/settings.php. This vulnerability is leading an attacker to steal admin and all user account cookies by storing the malicious XSS payload in Header and Footer. NOTE: this is disputed by the vendor because the "Additional HTML Section" for "Header and Footer" can only be supplied by an administrator, who is intentionally allowed to enter unsanitized input (e.g., site-specific JavaScript).
- Record
EUVD-2023-1633- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-w2pm-fr62-jgv4
Moodle vulnerable to stored Cross-site Scripting
Moodle 3.10.1 is vulnerable to persistent/stored cross-site scripting (XSS) due to the improper input sanitization on the "Additional HTML Section" via "Header and Footer" parameter in /admin/settings.php. This vulnerability may lead an attacker to steal admin and all user account cookies by storing the malicious XSS payload in Header and Footer.
- Record
GHSA-w2pm-fr62-jgv4- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
Moodle 3.10.1 is vulnerable to persistent/stored cross-site scripting (XSS) due to the improper input sanitization on the "Additional HTML Section" via "Header and Footer" parameter in /admin/settings.php. This vulnerability is leading an attacker to steal admin and all user account cookies by storing the malicious XSS payload in Header and Footer. NOTE: this is disputed by the vendor because the "Additional HTML Section" for "Header and Footer" can only be supplied by an administrator, who is intentionally allowed to enter unsanitized input (e.g., site-specific JavaScript).
- Record
CVE-2021-27131- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-w2pm-fr62-jgv4
Moodle vulnerable to stored Cross-site Scripting
Moodle 3.10.1 is vulnerable to persistent/stored cross-site scripting (XSS) due to the improper input sanitization on the "Additional HTML Section" via "Header and Footer" parameter in /admin/settings.php. This vulnerability may lead an attacker to steal admin and all user account cookies by storing the malicious XSS payload in Header and Footer.
- Record
GHSA-w2pm-fr62-jgv4- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-moodle-2021-27131 No score
Moodle 3.10.1 is vulnerable to persistent/stored cross-site scripting (XSS) due to the improper input sanitization on the "Additional HTML Section" via "Header and Footer" parameter in /admin/settings.php. This vulnerability is leading an attacker to steal admin and all user account cookies by storing the malicious XSS payload in Header and Footer. NOTE: this is disputed by the vendor because the "Additional HTML Section" for "Header and Footer" can only be supplied by an administrator, who is intentionally allowed to enter unsanitized input (e.g., site-specific JavaScript).
- Record
BIT-moodle-2021-27131- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
moodle/moodlePackagist |
through 3.10.1 | None known |
moodleBitnami |
3.10.1 up to 3.10.2 | 3.10.2 |
moodle/moodlePackagist |
through 3.10.1, plus listed versions v2.3.10v2.3.11v2.3.4v2.3.5v2.3.6 Show 45 moreShow lessv2.3.7v2.3.8v2.3.9v2.4.0v2.4.0-rc1v2.4.1v2.4.10v2.4.11v2.4.2v2.4.3v2.4.4v2.4.5v2.4.6v2.4.7v2.4.8v2.4.9v2.5.0v2.5.0-betav2.5.0-rc1v2.5.1v2.5.2v2.5.3v2.5.4v2.5.5v2.5.6v2.5.7v2.5.8v2.5.9v2.6.0v2.6.0-betav2.6.0-rc1v2.6.1v2.6.10v2.6.11v2.6.2v2.6.3v2.6.4v2.6.5v2.6.6v2.6.7v2.6.8v2.6.9v2.7.0v2.7.0-betav2.7.0-rc1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-27131 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.4) in Moodle, published May 16, 2023. Its validity is disputed. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.69%, the 52nd percentile. Fixed in moodle 3.10.2.
References
Left out here: 228 versions. The JSON record has them.