CVE-2004-0261: oj.cgi in OpenJournal 2.0 through 2.0.5 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and access the contro

This week

HIGH 10.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2004-0261 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 10.0) affecting openjournal. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

oj.cgi in OpenJournal 2.0 through 2.0.5 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and access the control panel via a 0 in the uid parameter.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	10.0 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	4.8% (top 8%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2004-11-23
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: openjournal

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2004-11-23 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:05 UTCUpdated Record last modified

openjournal openjournal DOWNGRADE

Affected: 2.0 · 2.0_1 · 2.0_2 · 2.0_3 · 2.0_4 · 2.0_5

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 2.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy openjournal || rpm -q openjournal || openjournal --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 2.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison openjournal sudo apt install openjournal=<VERSION_BEFORE_2.0> sudo apt-mark hold openjournal

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list openjournal sudo dnf downgrade openjournal-<VERSION_BEFORE_2.0> sudo dnf versionlock add openjournal

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: OpenJournal 2.0 - Authentication Bypassing

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2004-0261?

openjournal: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2004-0261 being exploited?

CVE-2004-0261 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2004-0261 affect?

CVE-2004-0261 affects openjournal. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). oj.cgi in OpenJournal 2.0 through 2.0.5 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and access the control panel via a 0 in the uid parameter.

How urgent is CVE-2004-0261?

Priority 63/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

References

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