CVE-2021-43821
Files Accessible to External Parties in Opencast
Opencast is an Open Source Lecture Capture & Video Management for Education. Opencast before version 9.10 or 10.6 allows references to local file URLs in ingested media packages, allowing attackers to include local files from Opencast's host machines and making them available via the web interface. Before Opencast 9.10 and 10.6, Opencast would open and include local files during ingests. Attackers could exploit this to include most local files the process has read access to, extracting secrets from the host machine. An attacker would need to have the privileges required to add new media to exploit this. But these are often widely given. The issue has been fixed in Opencast 10.6 and 11.0. You can mitigate this issue by narrowing down the read access Opencast has to files on the file system using UNIX permissions or mandatory access control systems like SELinux. This cannot prevent access to files Opencast needs to read though and we highly recommend updating.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
9.9
Files Accessible to External Parties in Opencast
Opencast is an Open Source Lecture Capture & Video Management for Education. Opencast before version 9.10 or 10.6 allows references to local file URLs in ingested media packages, allowing attackers to include local files from Opencast's host machines and making them available via the web interface. Before Opencast 9.10 and 10.6, Opencast would open and include local files during ingests. Attackers could exploit this to include most local files the process has read access to, extracting secrets from the host machine. An attacker would need to have the privileges required to add new media to exploit this. But these are often widely given. The issue has been fixed in Opencast 10.6 and 11.0. You can mitigate this issue by narrowing down the read access Opencast has to files on the file system using UNIX permissions or mandatory access control systems like SELinux. This cannot prevent access to files Opencast needs to read though and we highly recommend updating.
- Record
CVE-2021-43821- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-552
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-2446
9.9
Opencast is an Open Source Lecture Capture & Video Management for Education. Opencast before version 9.10 or 10.6 allows references to local file URLs in ingested media packages, allowing attackers to include local files from Opencast's host machines and making them available via the web interface. Before Opencast 9.10 and 10.6, Opencast would open and include local files during ingests. Attackers could exploit this to include most local files the process has read access to, extracting secrets from the host machine. An attacker would need to have the privileges required to add new media to exploit this. But these are often widely given. The issue has been fixed in Opencast 10.6 and 11.0. You can mitigate this issue by narrowing down the read access Opencast has to files on the file system using UNIX permissions or mandatory access control systems like SELinux. This cannot prevent access to files Opencast needs to read though and we highly recommend updating.
- Record
EUVD-2021-2446- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-59g4-hpg3-3gcp
9.9
Files Accessible to External Parties in Opencast
Opencast before version 10.6 allows references to local file URLs in ingested media packages, allowing attackers to include local files from Opencast's host machines and making them available via the web interface.
Impact
Before Opencast 10.6, Opencast would open and include local files during ingests. Attackers could exploit this to include most local files the process has read access to, extracting secrets from the host machine.
For example, to expose the custom.properties of develop.opencast.org via the asset manager, an attacker could have run:
curl -f -i -u admin:opencast \
https://develop.opencast.org/ingest/addMediaPackage/fast \
-F 'flavor=presenter/source'\
-F mediaUri=file:///srv/opencast/opencast-dist-allinone/etc/custom.properties\
-F title="custom.properties"
An attacker would need to have the privileges required to add new media to exploit this. But these are often widely given.
Patches
The issue has been fixed in Opencast 10.6 and 11.0.
Workarounds
You can mitigate this issue by narrowing down the read access Opencast has to files on the file system using UNIX permissions or mandatory access control systems like SELinux. This cannot prevent access to files Opencast needs to read though and we highly recommend updating.
References
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in our issue tracker
- Email us at [email protected]
- Record
GHSA-59g4-hpg3-3gcp- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-552
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
9.9
Opencast is an Open Source Lecture Capture & Video Management for Education. Opencast before version 9.10 or 10.6 allows references to local file URLs in ingested media packages, allowing attackers to include local files from Opencast's host machines and making them available via the web interface. Before Opencast 9.10 and 10.6, Opencast would open and include local files during ingests. Attackers could exploit this to include most local files the process has read access to, extracting secrets from the host machine. An attacker would need to have the privileges required to add new media to exploit this. But these are often widely given. The issue has been fixed in Opencast 10.6 and 11.0. You can mitigate this issue by narrowing down the read access Opencast has to files on the file system using UNIX permissions or mandatory access control systems like SELinux. This cannot prevent access to files Opencast needs to read though and we highly recommend updating.
- Record
CVE-2021-43821- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 3.1
- 7.7 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 4.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-552
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
7.7
Opencast is an Open Source Lecture Capture & Video Management for Education. Opencast before version 9.10 or 10.6 allows references to local file URLs in ingested media packages, allowing attackers to include local files from Opencast's host machines and making them available via the web interface. Before Opencast 9.10 and 10.6, Opencast would open and include local files during ingests. Attackers could exploit this to include most local files the process has read access to, extracting secrets from the host machine. An attacker would need to have the privileges required to add new media to exploit this. But these are often widely given. The issue has been fixed in Opencast 10.6 and 11.0. You can mitigate this issue by narrowing down the read access Opencast has to files on the file system using UNIX permissions or mandatory access control systems like SELinux. This cannot prevent access to files Opencast needs to read though and we highly recommend updating.
- Record
CVE-2021-43821- CVSS 3.1
- 7.7 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-59g4-hpg3-3gcp
9.9
Files Accessible to External Parties in Opencast
Opencast before version 10.6 allows references to local file URLs in ingested media packages, allowing attackers to include local files from Opencast's host machines and making them available via the web interface.
Impact
Before Opencast 10.6, Opencast would open and include local files during ingests. Attackers could exploit this to include most local files the process has read access to, extracting secrets from the host machine.
For example, to expose the custom.properties of develop.opencast.org via the asset manager, an attacker could have run:
curl -f -i -u admin:opencast \
https://develop.opencast.org/ingest/addMediaPackage/fast \
-F 'flavor=presenter/source'\
-F mediaUri=file:///srv/opencast/opencast-dist-allinone/etc/custom.properties\
-F title="custom.properties"
An attacker would need to have the privileges required to add new media to exploit this. But these are often widely given.
Patches
The issue has been fixed in Opencast 10.6 and 11.0.
Workarounds
You can mitigate this issue by narrowing down the read access Opencast has to files on the file system using UNIX permissions or mandatory access control systems like SELinux. This cannot prevent access to files Opencast needs to read though and we highly recommend updating.
References
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in our issue tracker
- Email us at [email protected]
- Record
GHSA-59g4-hpg3-3gcp- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-552
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
org.opencastproject:opencast-ingest-service-implMaven |
before 10.6 | 10.6 |
org.opencastproject:opencast-ingest-service-implMaven |
before 10.6, plus listed versions 10.010.110.210.310.4 Show 33 moreShow less10.56.67.27.37.47.57.67.77.87.98.08.18.108.118.38.48.58.68.78.88.99.09.19.109.119.129.29.39.49.59.69.79.9 |
10.6 |
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| PoC in GitHub | Jackey0/opencast-CVE-2021-43821-env | 2021-12-26 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV, PoC in GitHub |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-43821 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.9) in Apereo Opencast, published December 14, 2021. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.03%, the 81st percentile. Fixed in org.opencastproject:opencast-ingest-service-impl 10.6.
References
github.com/opencast/opencast/security/advisories/GHSA-59g4-hpg3-3gcp
github.com/opencast/opencast/commit/65c46b9d3e8f045c544881059923134571897764
github.com/opencast/opencast/blob/69952463971cf578363e3b97d8edaf334ff51253/modules/ingest-service-impl/src/main/java/org/opencastproject/ingest/impl/IngestServiceImpl.java
mvnrepository.com/artifact/org.opencastproject/opencast-ingest-service-impl
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-43821
github.com/advisories/GHSA-59g4-hpg3-3gcp
github.com/opencast/opencast