Cyber Resilience

CVE-2017-14143

Exposed Creds in Kaltura Server ≤ mercury-13.1.0

Public PoCHigh EPSSExposed Creds
Published
19 September 2017
Modified
20 April 2025
CVSS Score v3 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.75 99.5th percentile
Risk Priority 97 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2017-14143 is a critical-severity Use of Hard-coded Credentials (CWE-798) vulnerability in Kaltura Kaltura Server. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, ranked in the top 0.5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

The getUserzoneCookie function in Kaltura before 13.2.0 uses a hardcoded cookie secret to validate cookie signatures, which allows remote attackers to bypass an intended protection mechanism and consequently conduct PHP object injection attacks and execute arbitrary PHP code via a…

more

crafted userzone cookie.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

Likely ATT&CK TechniquesAI

Techniques this vulnerability likely enables, inferred from its description, weakness type, and attributed-actor tradecraft. Confidence is per-technique.

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Accessconfidence: HIGH
Hardcoded secret enables remote attackers to bypass authentication and inject PHP objects, directly facilitating exploitation of a public-facing web application.
T1204.003 Malicious Image Executionconfidence: MEDIUM
Crafted userzone cookie can be delivered to trigger malicious execution when the victim interacts with the application.
T1059.006 Python Executionconfidence: HIGH
Successful PHP object injection leads to arbitrary PHP code execution on the server.
inferred from description + CWE · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-7295Shared CWE-798
CVE-2026-48244Shared CWE-798
CVE-2025-48413Shared CWE-798
CVE-2025-35451Shared CWE-798
CVE-2026-28255Shared CWE-798
CVE-2025-30137Shared CWE-798
CVE-2020-37135Shared CWE-798
CVE-2023-33836Shared CWE-798
CVE-2026-7414Shared CWE-798
CVE-2025-9497Shared CWE-798

Affected Assets

kaltura
kaltura server
≤ mercury-13.1.0

Mitigating Controls

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-798

Enables users to notice when hard-coded credentials have been exploited for unauthorized access.

addresses: CWE-798

Security training explicitly warns against hard-coded credentials, lowering their use in systems.

addresses: CWE-798

Policy and procedures prohibit hard-coded credentials in favor of managed authentication.

addresses: CWE-798

External identity providers eliminate the need for hard-coded credentials in applications.

addresses: CWE-798

Changing default authenticators prior to first use and protecting content prevents use of hard-coded credentials.

addresses: CWE-798

Central credential stores and rotation policies remove the need for hard-coded credentials in configuration files or code.

addresses: CWE-798

Intelligence programs surface reports of campaigns that abuse hard-coded credentials in products, prompting removal or replacement and thereby reducing successful exploitation.

addresses: CWE-798

Planned investment enables secure credential storage and management systems instead of hard-coded credentials.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-01 partial match
prevents

PR.AA-01's credential/key-management processes can reduce the incentive to embed secrets but do not address or detect hard-coded values in source code, so the weakness remains fully possible.

PR.AA-02 none match
prevents

PR.AA-02 addresses human identity proofing and per-person credential issuance at enrollment; it has no bearing on whether developers embed static credentials in software.

PR.DS-01 none match
prevents

PR.DS-01 addresses encryption and integrity of stored data but never touches credential or key management practices, so it neither prevents hard-coded credentials nor removes any of their risk.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Education on secure configuration practices discourages technical staff from embedding or relying on hard-coded credentials in systems and applications.

mitigates

Secure key-generation, distribution and storage procedures reduce the likelihood that hard-coded or default cryptographic keys will be introduced or left unprotected.

prevents

Explicit prohibition of hard-coded passwords and unauthenticated external services stops credentials from being embedded directly in source code.

prevents

Contractual requirements for secure coding practices and evidence of testing make it less likely that hard-coded credentials will be introduced or remain undetected in delivered code.

none

Requiring independent oversight and timely disabling of non-human identities makes it harder for hard-coded or long-lived credentials to remain exploitable.

none

Mandating immediate replacement of vendor-supplied default credentials eliminates the use of hard-coded or factory passwords that attackers can trivially obtain from documentation or firmware.

References