Summary
Apache Log4j Remote Code Execution
Who is affected
- Opencast before 9.10 or 10.6 are affected
- Log4j version: all 2.x versions before 2.15.0 are affected
Workarounds
The vulnerability can be mitigated by setting system property log4j2.formatMsgNoLookups to true.
References
- Opencast pull request mitigating the vulnerability
- CVE-2021-44228 Detail
- Analysis and Remediation Guidance to the Log4j Zero-Day RCE (CVE-2021-44228) Vulnerability
- VE-2021-44228 – Log4j 2 Vulnerability Analysis
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in our issue tracker
- Email us at [email protected]
Note about dependencies
This issue affects many Java applications. Please also verify these are not vulnerable.
Impact
Opencast uses an Apache Log4j2 version which, combined with older JDK versions, can be used for remote code execution attacks which have been found to be actively exploited.
Apache Log4j2 <=2.14.1 JNDI features is not sufficiently protected. An attacker who can control log messages or log message parameters can execute arbitrary code when message lookup substitution is enabled.
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.
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The issue has been fixed in Opencast 9.10 and 10.6.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8? GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in org.opencastproject:opencast-common (maven), affecting versions < 9.10. It is fixed in 9.10, 10.6.
- Which versions of org.opencastproject:opencast-common are affected by GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8? org.opencastproject:opencast-common (maven) versions < 9.10 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8? Yes. GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8 is fixed in 9.10, 10.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8 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 GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8 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 GHSA-MF4F-J588-5XM8?
- Upgrade
org.opencastproject:opencast-commonto 9.10 or later - Upgrade
org.opencastproject:opencast-commonto 10.6 or later
- Upgrade