CVE-2020-5229: Password Hashing Do Not Use MD5 Vulnerability
LOWCVE-2020-5229 is a LOW (CVSS 7.7) do not use md5 vulnerability (CWE-327: Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm) affecting Password Hashing libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves do not use md5. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 7.6, 8.1.
CVE-2020-5229 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 7.7
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:C/C:H/I:H/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2020-5229
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Password Hashing dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>org.opencastproject</groupId>
<artifactId>opencast-common-jpa-impl</artifactId>
<version>7.6</version>
</dependency><dependency>
<groupId>org.opencastproject</groupId>
<artifactId>opencast-common-jpa-impl</artifactId>
<version>8.1</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencastprojectHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-5229, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencastprojectAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Password Hashing in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 7.6), 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-327: Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm, where the product uses a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm or protocol. In Password Hashing, 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
CVE-2020-5229 Affected Password Hashing Versions
2 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-impl
|
Maven |
< 7.6
|
7.6
|
|
org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-impl
|
Maven |
≥ 8.0
< 8.1
|
8.1
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2020-5229?
Which Password Hashing versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2020-5229?
Is opencast-common-jpa-impl affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-5229?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-5229?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-5229?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-h362-m8f2-5x7c",
"modified" : "2021-01-08T20:31:50Z",
"published" : "2020-01-30T21:21:58Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-5229" ],
"summary" : "Password Hashing: Do not use MD5",
"details" : "### Impact\n\nUser 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.\n\nThis essentially means that for an attacker, it might be feasible to reconstruct a user's password given access to these hashes.\n\nNote 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.\n\n\n### Patches\n\nThe 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.\n\nFor a list of users whose password hashes are stored using MD5, take a look at the `/user-utils/users/md5.json` REST endpoint.\n\n\n### Workarounds\n\nThere is no workaround.\n\n### References\n\n- [MD5 (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MD5)\n- [bcrypt (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bcrypt)\n- [How weak is MD5 as a password hashing function?](https://security.stackexchange.com/q/52461)\n\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n\n- Open an issue in [opencast/opencast](https://github.com/opencast/opencast/issues)\n- For security-relevant information, email us at security@opencast.org",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-impl"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "7.6"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.opencastproject:opencast-common-jpa-impl"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "8.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "8.1"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/opencast/opencast/security/advisories/GHSA-h362-m8f2-5x7c"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5229"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/opencast/opencast/commit/32bfbe5f78e214e2d589f92050228b91d704758e"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-327" ],
"severity" : "LOW",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2020-01-30T19:59:06Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}