CVE-2021-21318

CVE-2021-21318 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apereo Opencast with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.4. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-863.

Key facts

Description

Opencast is a free, open-source platform to support the management of educational audio and video content. In Opencast before version 9.2 there is a vulnerability in which publishing an episode with strict access rules will overwrite the currently set series access. This allows for an easy denial of access for all users without superuser privileges, effectively hiding the series. Access to series and series metadata on the search service (shown in media module and player) depends on the events published which are part of the series. Publishing an event will automatically publish a series and update access to it. Removing an event or republishing the event should do the same. Affected versions of Opencast may not update the series access or remove a published series if an event is being removed. On removal of an episode, this may lead to an access control list for series metadata with broader access rules than the merged access rules of all remaining events, or the series metadata still being available although all episodes of that series have been removed. This problem is fixed in Opencast 9.2.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-21318?
Opencast is a free, open-source platform to support the management of educational audio and video content. In Opencast before version 9.2 there is a vulnerability in which publishing an episode with strict access rules will overwrite the currently set series access. This allows for an easy denial of access for all users without superuser privileges, effectively hiding the series. Access to series and series metadata on the search service (shown in media module and player) depends on the events published which are part of the series. Publishing an event will automatically publish a series and update access to it. Removing an event or republishing the event should do the same. Affected versions of Opencast may not update the series access or remove a published series if an event is being removed. On removal of an episode, this may lead to an access control list for series metadata with broader access rules than the merged access rules of all remaining events, or the series metadata still being available although all episodes of that series have been removed. This problem is fixed in Opencast 9.2.
How severe is CVE-2021-21318?
CVE-2021-21318 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability low.
Is CVE-2021-21318 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-21318?
CVE-2021-21318 affects Apereo Opencast. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-21318?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-21318 published?
CVE-2021-21318 was published on 2021-02-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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