CVE-2018-16153 in Opencast
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2023
An issue was discovered in Apereo Opencast 4.x through 10.x before 10.6. It sends system digest credentials during authentication attempts to arbitrary external services in some situations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16153 represents a critical security flaw in the Apereo Opencast platform, affecting versions 4.x through 10.x prior to 10.6. This issue manifests when the system inadvertently transmits system digest credentials during authentication attempts to external services that are not properly authenticated or authorized. The flaw stems from inadequate credential handling mechanisms within the authentication framework, creating a scenario where sensitive authentication data could be exposed to unintended recipients.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-312, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of credentials. The flaw occurs specifically during authentication sequences when Opencast attempts to communicate with external services, potentially including LDAP servers, external APIs, or other authentication endpoints. The system's failure to properly validate or sanitize the authentication context results in the transmission of digest credentials to destinations that should not receive such sensitive information. This behavior creates a vector for credential leakage that could be exploited by malicious actors who have access to the network traffic or can intercept communications between the Opencast system and external services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Apereo Opencast for media management and workflow automation. When system digest credentials are transmitted to arbitrary external services, it creates potential for unauthorized access to backend systems and resources. Attackers could leverage this exposure to gain elevated privileges, access restricted content, or compromise the integrity of the entire media processing pipeline. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where Opencast interacts with multiple external authentication systems or services, as each interaction presents an opportunity for credential exposure. Organizations using the affected versions may experience cascading security issues if the leaked credentials can be used to access other systems within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching to versions 10.6 or later where the issue has been resolved. Organizations should implement network-level monitoring to detect and prevent unauthorized credential transmission patterns, utilizing intrusion detection systems to identify suspicious authentication traffic. Configuration reviews should focus on limiting external service communications and ensuring proper authentication context validation. The implementation of network segmentation and access controls can help reduce the attack surface by restricting which external services can receive authentication data from Opencast systems. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive credential rotation procedures and implement multi-factor authentication mechanisms to minimize the impact should credential exposure occur. Security teams should also consider implementing certificate pinning and strict TLS requirements for external communications to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks that could exploit the credential exposure vulnerability. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that legitimate authentication workflows continue to function properly while eliminating the unintended credential transmission behavior.