{"id":"GHSA-94qw-r73x-j7hg","summary":"Users with ROLE_COURSE_ADMIN can create new users in Opencast","details":"### Impact\n\nUsers with the role `ROLE_COURSE_ADMIN` can use the user-utils endpoint to create new users not including the role `ROLE_ADMIN`. For example:\n\n```bash\n# Use the admin to create a new user with ROLE_COURSE_ADMIN using the admin user.\n# We expect this to work.\n% curl -i -u admin:opencast 'https://example.opencast.org/user-utils/xy.json' -X PUT \\\n  --data 'password=f&roles=%5B%22ROLE_COURSE_ADMIN%22%5D'\nHTTP/2 201\n\n# Use the new user to create more new users.\n# We don't expüect a user with just role ROLE_COURSE_ADMIN to succeed.\n# But it does work\n% curl -i -u xy:f 'https://example.opencast.org/user-utils/ab.json' -X PUT \\\n  --data 'password=f&roles=%5B%22ROLE_COURSE_ADMIN%22%5D'\nHTTP/2 201\n```\n`ROLE_COURSE_ADMIN` is a non-standard role in Opencast which is referenced neither in the documentation nor in any code (except for tests) but only in the security configuration. From the name – implying an admin for a specific course – users would never expect that this role allows user creation.\n\n### Patches\n\nThis issue is fixed in 7.6 and 8.1 which both ship a new default security configuration.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nYou can fix this issue by removing all instances of `ROLE_COURSE_ADMIN` in your organization's security configuration (`etc/security/mh_default_org.xml` by default).\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","aliases":["CVE-2020-5231"],"modified":"2026-09-10T03:48:42.029744564Z","published":"2020-01-30T21:21:37Z","database_specific":{"cwe_ids":["CWE-285"],"severity":"MODERATE","github_reviewed":true,"github_reviewed_at":"2020-01-30T21:11:19Z","nvd_published_at":null},"references":[{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/opencast/opencast/security/advisories/GHSA-94qw-r73x-j7hg"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5231"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/opencast/opencast/commit/72fad0031d8a82c860e2bde0b27570c5042320ee"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel","ecosystem":"Maven","purl":"pkg:maven/org.opencastproject/opencast-kernel"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"7.6"}]}],"versions":["6.6","7.2","7.3","7.4","7.5"],"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2020/01/GHSA-94qw-r73x-j7hg/GHSA-94qw-r73x-j7hg.json"}},{"package":{"name":"org.opencastproject:opencast-kernel","ecosystem":"Maven","purl":"pkg:maven/org.opencastproject/opencast-kernel"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"8.0"},{"fixed":"8.1"}]}],"versions":["8.0"],"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2020/01/GHSA-94qw-r73x-j7hg/GHSA-94qw-r73x-j7hg.json"}}],"schema_version":"1.9.0","severity":[{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"}]}