CVE-2020-26234: Opencast kernel Disabled Hostname Verification Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-44cw-p2hm-gpf6
Share
CVSS 4.8
CWE-297
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-26234 is a HIGH (CVSS 4.8) disabled hostname verification vulnerability (CWE-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch) affecting Opencast kernel libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves disabled hostname verification in opencast. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 7.9, 8.9.

CVE-2020-26234 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-26234
GHSA Identifier GHSA-44cw-p2hm-gpf6
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.8
CWE Classification CWE-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch
Affected Product Opencast kernel
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2020-26234

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Opencast kernel dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel fixed: 7.9 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.opencastproject</groupId>
    <artifactId>opencast-kernel</artifactId>
    <version>7.9</version>
</dependency>
org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel fixed: 8.9 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.opencastproject</groupId>
    <artifactId>opencast-kernel</artifactId>
    <version>8.9</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencastproject

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-26234, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencastproject

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Opencast kernel in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 7.9), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencastproject command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch, where the product communicates with a host that provides a certificate, but the product does not properly ensure that the certificate is actually associated with that host. In Opencast kernel, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Opencast before version 8.9 and 7.9 disables HTTPS hostname verification of its HTTP client used for a large portion of Opencast's HTTP requests. Hostname verification is an important part when using HTTPS to ensure that the presented certificate is valid for the host. Disabling it can allow for man-in-the-middle attacks. ### Patches This problem is fixed in Opencast 7.9 and Opencast 8.9 ### Self-Signed Certificates Please be aware that fixing the problem means that Opencast will not simply accept any self-signed certificates any longer without properly importing them. If you need those, please make sure to import them into the Java key store. Better yet, get a valid certificate e.g. from [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org).

CVE-2020-26234 Affected Opencast kernel Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
7.98.9
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel
maven/org.opencastproject/opencast-kernel
Maven
< 7.9
7.9
org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel
maven/org.opencastproject/opencast-kernel
Maven
≥ 8.0
< 8.9
8.9

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/opencast/opencast/security/advisories/GHSA-44cw-p2hm-gpf6
NVD — CVE-2020-26234 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-26234
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/opencast/opencast/commit/4225bf90af74557deaf8fb6b80b0705c9621acfc

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-26234?
CVE-2020-26234 is a security vulnerability in Opencast kernel involving Disabled Hostname Verification in Opencast under CWE-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch.
Which Opencast kernel versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 7.9, 8.9 across affected packages: org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel.
What version fixes CVE-2020-26234?
Upgrading to 7.9, 8.9 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is opencast-kernel affected?
Yes, org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel is affected in releases prior to 7.9, 8.9. Upgrade your dependency to 7.9, 8.9 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-26234?
CVE-2020-26234 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-26234?
CVE-2020-26234 is classified under CWE-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch (The product communicates with a host that provides a certificate, but the product does not properly ensure that the certificate is actually associated with that host.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-26234?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencastproject'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-44cw-p2hm-gpf6",
  "modified" : "2021-10-20T18:02:17Z",
  "published" : "2020-12-08T22:37:59Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-26234" ],
  "summary" : "Disabled Hostname Verification in Opencast",
  "details" : "Opencast before version 8.9 and 7.9 disables HTTPS hostname verification of its HTTP client used for a large portion of Opencast's HTTP requests.\n\nHostname verification is an important part when using HTTPS to ensure that the presented certificate is valid for the host. Disabling it can allow for man-in-the-middle attacks.\n\n### Patches\n\nThis problem is fixed in Opencast 7.9 and Opencast 8.9\n\n### Self-Signed Certificates\n\nPlease be aware that fixing the problem means that Opencast will not simply accept any self-signed certificates any longer without properly importing them. If you need those, please make sure to import them into the Java key store. Better yet, get a valid certificate e.g. from [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.9"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "8.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.9"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/opencast/opencast/security/advisories/GHSA-44cw-p2hm-gpf6"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-26234"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/opencast/opencast/commit/4225bf90af74557deaf8fb6b80b0705c9621acfc"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-297" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-12-08T22:37:44Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}