CVE-2021-3637: Keycloak model infinispan Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-2vp8-jv5v-6qh6
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-770
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-3637 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) affecting Keycloak model infinispan libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves allocation of resources without limits or throttling in keycloak-model-infinispan. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 14.0.0.

CVE-2021-3637 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-3637
GHSA Identifier GHSA-2vp8-jv5v-6qh6
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
Affected Product Keycloak model infinispan
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-3637

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Keycloak model infinispan 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-model-infinispan fixed: 14.0.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.keycloak</groupId>
    <artifactId>keycloak-model-infinispan</artifactId>
    <version>14.0.0</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-2021-3637, 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 model infinispan in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 14.0.0), 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-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling, where the product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated. In Keycloak model infinispan, 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 flaw was found in keycloak-model-infinispan in keycloak versions before 14.0.0 where authenticationSessions map in RootAuthenticationSessionEntity grows boundlessly which could lead to a DoS attack.

CVE-2021-3637 Affected Keycloak model infinispan Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
14.0.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.keycloak:keycloak-model-infinispan
maven/org.keycloak/keycloak-model-infinispan
Maven
< 14.0.0
14.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-3637 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3637
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1979638

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-3637?
CVE-2021-3637 is a security vulnerability in Keycloak model infinispan involving Allocation of resources without limits or throttling in keycloak-model-infinispan under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling.
Which Keycloak model infinispan versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 14.0.0 across affected packages: org.keycloak:keycloak-model-infinispan.
What version fixes CVE-2021-3637?
Upgrading to 14.0.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is keycloak-model-infinispan affected?
Yes, org.keycloak:keycloak-model-infinispan is affected in releases prior to 14.0.0. Upgrade your dependency to 14.0.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-3637?
CVE-2021-3637 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-3637?
CVE-2021-3637 is classified under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (The product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-3637?
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-2vp8-jv5v-6qh6",
  "modified" : "2021-07-14T19:41:44Z",
  "published" : "2021-07-13T17:43:23Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-3637" ],
  "summary" : "Allocation of resources without limits or throttling in keycloak-model-infinispan",
  "details" : "A flaw was found in keycloak-model-infinispan in keycloak versions before 14.0.0 where authenticationSessions map in RootAuthenticationSessionEntity grows boundlessly which could lead to a DoS attack.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.keycloak:keycloak-model-infinispan"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "14.0.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3637"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1979638"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-770" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-07-13T16:20:30Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-07-09T11:15:00Z"
  }
}