CVE-2019-3875: Keycloak core Improper Certificate Validation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-38cg-gg9j-q9j9
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CVSS 4.8
CWE-295 CWE-345
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-3875 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.8) improper certificate validation vulnerability (CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation) affecting Keycloak core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper certificate validation and insufficient verification of data authenticity in keycloak. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2019-3875 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-3875
GHSA Identifier GHSA-38cg-gg9j-q9j9
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.8
CWE Classification CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation
Affected Product Keycloak core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-3875

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Keycloak core dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.keycloak:keycloak-core fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.keycloak</groupId>
    <artifactId>keycloak-core</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.keycloak

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2019-3875, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.keycloak

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Keycloak core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.keycloak command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation, where the product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate. In Keycloak core, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A vulnerability was found in keycloak before 6.0.2. The X.509 authenticator supports the verification of client certificates through the CRL, where the CRL list can be obtained from the URL provided in the certificate itself (CDP) or through the separately configured path. The CRL are often available over the network through unsecured protocols ('http' or 'ldap') and hence the caller should verify the signature and possibly the certification path. Keycloak currently doesn't validate signatures on CRL, which can result in a possibility of various attacks like man-in-the-middle.

CVE-2019-3875 Affected Keycloak core Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.keycloak:keycloak-core
maven/org.keycloak/keycloak-core
Maven
≤ 6.0.1

References

NVD — CVE-2019-3875 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-3875
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-3875

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-3875?
CVE-2019-3875 is a security vulnerability in Keycloak core involving Improper Certificate Validation and Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity in Keycloak under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation.
Which Keycloak core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: org.keycloak:keycloak-core.
What version fixes CVE-2019-3875?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is keycloak-core affected?
Yes, org.keycloak:keycloak-core is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-3875?
CVE-2019-3875 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-3875?
CVE-2019-3875 is classified under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation (The product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2019-3875?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.keycloak'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-38cg-gg9j-q9j9",
  "modified" : "2021-08-17T15:33:33Z",
  "published" : "2019-06-27T17:25:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-3875" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Certificate Validation and Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity in Keycloak",
  "details" : "A vulnerability was found in keycloak before 6.0.2. The X.509 authenticator supports the verification of client certificates through the CRL, where the CRL list can be obtained from the URL provided in the certificate itself (CDP) or through the separately configured path. The CRL are often available over the network through unsecured protocols ('http' or 'ldap') and hence the caller should verify the signature and possibly the certification path. Keycloak currently doesn't validate signatures on CRL, which can result in a possibility of various attacks like man-in-the-middle.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.keycloak:keycloak-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "6.0.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-3875"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-3875"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-295", "CWE-345" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-06-27T15:43:10Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-06-12T14:29:00Z"
  }
}