Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2026-26045 is a high-severity Moodle flaw in backup restore handling. A privileged authenticated user who can restore a malicious backup file may cause server-side code execution. The business risk is potential full compromise of the Moodle server, but exposure is narrower than an unauthenticated internet-facing bug.
Executive priority
Treat as a near-term priority for Moodle environments, especially externally reachable learning portals. The exploit path needs privileged access, reducing likelihood, but successful compromise could give an attacker control of the server.
Technical view
The issue is improper validation of specially crafted Moodle backup files during restore, mapped to CWE-94. The provided CVSS is 7.2: network-reachable, low complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Systems running affected Moodle versions listed in the source bundle, including 5.0.0 and 5.1.0, may be exposed if users have backup restore privileges. The source data lists default status as unaffected, so confirm exact affected version ranges with vendor guidance.
Exploitation context
Exploitation requires authenticated access with privileged restore capabilities. The source bundle does not indicate CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. No public exploit status is established by the provided sources.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to CVE metadata and Red Hat references. The bundle names affected Moodle versions 5.0.0 and 5.1.0 but does not provide a patch version, Moodle advisory link, or exploit evidence. Avoid assuming broader version impact without vendor confirmation.
Mitigation direction
- Review Moodle and distribution vendor advisories for fixed versions or official mitigations.
- Restrict backup restore capability to trusted administrators only.
- Audit recent restore activity for unusual or unapproved backup files.
- Prioritize patching or compensating controls on internet-accessible Moodle servers.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Moodle instances and record exact versions.
- Identify accounts and roles permitted to restore backups.
- Check whether listed affected versions are present.
- Review application and server logs for recent backup restore events.
- Monitor vendor pages for updated affected ranges and fixes.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-94: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-26045 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.2 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.25.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.2HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-26045CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2440901CVE reference · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.