CVE-2023-0091: Keycloak core Keycloak Has Lack Of Validation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-v436-q368-hvgg
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-284 CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-0091 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) keycloak has lack of validation vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Keycloak core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves keycloak has lack of validation of access token on client registrations endpoint. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 20.0.3.

CVE-2023-0091 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-0091
GHSA Identifier GHSA-v436-q368-hvgg
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product Keycloak core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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:L/I:L/A:N).

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 Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2023-0091

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: 20.0.3 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.keycloak</groupId>
    <artifactId>keycloak-core</artifactId>
    <version>20.0.3</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-2023-0091, 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 20.0.3), 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-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. 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

When a service account with the create-client or manage-clients role can use the client-registration endpoints to create/manage clients with an access token. If the access token is leaked, there is an option to revoke the specific token. However, the check is not performed in client-registration endpoints.

CVE-2023-0091 Affected Keycloak core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
20.0.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.keycloak:keycloak-core
maven/org.keycloak/keycloak-core
Maven
< 20.0.3
20.0.3

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/security/advisories/GHSA-v436-q368-hvgg
NVD — CVE-2023-0091 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-0091
Keycloak core Security Information SECURITY
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-0091
Keycloak core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-0091?
CVE-2023-0091 is a security vulnerability in Keycloak core involving Keycloak has lack of validation of access token on client registrations endpoint under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Keycloak core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 20.0.3 across affected packages: org.keycloak:keycloak-core.
What version fixes CVE-2023-0091?
Upgrading to 20.0.3 (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 20.0.3. Upgrade your dependency to 20.0.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-0091?
CVE-2023-0091 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-0091?
CVE-2023-0091 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-0091?
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-v436-q368-hvgg",
  "modified" : "2023-01-23T18:47:54Z",
  "published" : "2023-01-12T23:39:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-0091" ],
  "summary" : "Keycloak has lack of validation of access token on client registrations endpoint",
  "details" : "When a service account with the create-client or manage-clients role can use the client-registration endpoints to create/manage clients with an access token.\n\nIf the access token is leaked, there is an option to revoke the specific token. However, the check is not performed in client-registration endpoints.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "20.0.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 20.0.2"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/security/advisories/GHSA-v436-q368-hvgg"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-0091"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-0091"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-01-12T23:39:39Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-01-13T06:15:00Z"
  }
}