GHSA-mh8g-hprg-8363 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.8) Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability in org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-mh8g-hprg-8363 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Hard-Coded Key Used For Remember-me Token in Opencast
Real-World Exposure
org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel☕org.opencastproject:opencast-kernelReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
The security configuration in etc/security/mh_default_org.xml enables a remember-me cookie based on a hash created from the username, password, and an additional system key. Opencast has hard-coded this system key in the large XML file and never mentions to change this, basically ensuring that all systems use the same key:
<sec:remember-me key="opencast" user-service-ref="userDetailsService" />
This means that an attacker getting access to a remember-me token for one server can get access to all servers which allow log-in using the same credentials without ever needing the credentials. For example, a remember-me token obtained from develop.opencast.org can be used on stable.opencast.org without actually knowing the log-in credentials.
Such an attack will usually not work on different installations – assuming that safe, unique passwords are used – but it is basically guaranteed to work to get access to all machines of one cluster if a token from one machine is compromised.
Patches
This problem is fixed in Opencast 7.6 and Opencast 8.1
Workarounds
We strongly recommend updating to the patched version. Still, as a workaround for older versions, in etc/security/mh_default_org.xml, set a custom key for each server:
<sec:remember-me key="CUSTOM_RANDOM_KEY" user-service-ref="userDetailsService" />
References
- Relevant lines in the security configuration
- Spring Security Remember-Me Authentication Documentation
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]
Thanks
Thanks to @LukasKalbertodt for reporting the issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel | all versions | 7.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel | ≥ 8.0&&< 8.1 | 8.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel to 7.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-mh8g-hprg-8363 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-mh8g-hprg-8363 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-mh8g-hprg-8363. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-mh8g-hprg-8363 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-mh8g-hprg-8363 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.