CVE-2020-5228

Unauthenticated Access Via OAI-PMH

Workarounds

In the organization security configuration (etc/security/mh_default_org.xml), change the roles required for accessing /oaipmh from ROLE_ANONYMOUS to ROLE_ADMIN.

References

• Public access configuration in the organization's security configuration

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Open an issue in opencast/opencast
• For security-relevant information, email us at [email protected]

Media publication via OAI-PMH allows unauthenticated public access to all media and metadata by default. OAI-PMH is part of the default workflow and is activated by default, requiring active user intervention of users to protect media. This leads to users unknowingly handing out public access to events without their knowledge.

The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.

CVE-2020-5228 has a CVSS score of 7.6 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (7.6, 8.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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The problem has been addressed in Opencast 7.6 and 8.1 where the OAI-PMH endpoint is configured to require users with ROLE_ADMIN by default. In addition to this, Opencast 9 removes the OAI-PMH publication from the default workflow, making the publication a conscious decision users have to make by updating their workflows.

1. What is CVE-2020-5228? CVE-2020-5228 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in org.opencastproject:opencast-oaipmh-api (maven), affecting versions < 7.6. It is fixed in 7.6, 8.1. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
2. How severe is CVE-2020-5228? CVE-2020-5228 has a CVSS score of 7.6 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of org.opencastproject:opencast-oaipmh-api are affected by CVE-2020-5228? org.opencastproject:opencast-oaipmh-api (maven) versions < 7.6 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2020-5228? Yes. CVE-2020-5228 is fixed in 7.6, 8.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2020-5228 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-5228 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2020-5228 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2020-5228?
   • Upgrade org.opencastproject:opencast-oaipmh-api to 7.6 or later
   • Upgrade org.opencastproject:opencast-oaipmh-api to 8.1 or later