Summary
Password Hashing: Do not use MD5
Workarounds
There is no workaround.
References
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]
Impact
User passwords are stored in the database using the rather outdated and cryptographically insecure MD5 hash algorithm. Furthermore, the hashes are salted using the username instead of a random salt, causing hashes for users with the same username and password to collide which is problematic especially for popular users like the default admin user.
This essentially means that for an attacker, it might be feasible to reconstruct a user's password given access to these hashes.
Note that attackers needing access to the hashes means that they must gain access to the database in which these are stored first to be able to start cracking the passwords.
The application uses a cryptographic algorithm known to have weaknesses, such as MD5, SHA-1, or DES. Typical impact: compromised confidentiality or integrity of protected data.
CVE-2020-5229 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (Low). 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.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
The problem is addressed in Opencast 8.1 which now uses the modern and much stronger bcrypt password hashing algorithm for storing passwords. Note, that old hashes remain MD5 until the password is updated.
For a list of users whose password hashes are stored using MD5, take a look at the /user-utils/users/md5.json REST endpoint.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2020-5229? CVE-2020-5229 is a low-severity use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm vulnerability in org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-impl (maven), affecting versions < 7.6. It is fixed in 7.6, 8.1. The application uses a cryptographic algorithm known to have weaknesses, such as MD5, SHA-1, or DES.
- How severe is CVE-2020-5229? CVE-2020-5229 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (Low). 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.
- Which versions of org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-impl are affected by CVE-2020-5229? org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-impl (maven) versions < 7.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2020-5229? Yes. CVE-2020-5229 is fixed in 7.6, 8.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2020-5229 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-5229 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2020-5229 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2020-5229?
- Upgrade
org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-implto 7.6 or later - Upgrade
org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-implto 8.1 or later
- Upgrade