CVE-2023-6291: Keycloak services The Redirect_uri Validation Logic Allows Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mpwq-j3xf-7m5w
CVSS 7.1
CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-6291 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.1) the redirect_uri validation logic allows vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Keycloak services libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves the redirect_uri validation logic allows for bypassing explicitly allowed hosts that would otherwise be restricted. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 23.0.3.

CVE-2023-6291 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-6291
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mpwq-j3xf-7m5w
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.1
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Keycloak services
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.1

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:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L).

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

How to Fix CVE-2023-6291

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Keycloak services 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-services fixed: 23.0.3
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.keycloak</groupId>
    <artifactId>keycloak-services</artifactId>
    <version>23.0.3</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-2023-6291, 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 services in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 23.0.3), 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-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. In Keycloak services, 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

An issue was found in the redirect_uri validation logic that allows for a bypass of otherwise explicitly allowed hosts. The problem arises in the verifyRedirectUri method, which attempts to enforce rules on user-controllable input, but essentially causes a desynchronization in how Keycloak and browsers interpret URLs. Keycloak, for example, receives "[www%2ekeycloak%2eorg%2fapp%2f:y@example.com](https://www%2ekeycloak%2eorg%2fapp%2f:y@example.com/)" and thinks the authority to be keycloak.org when it is actually example.com. This happens because the validation logic is performed on a URL decoded version, which no longer represents the original input. ### Acknowledgements Karel Knibbe

CVE-2023-6291 Affected Keycloak services Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
23.0.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.keycloak:keycloak-services
Maven
< 23.0.3
23.0.3

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-6291?
CVE-2023-6291 is a security vulnerability in Keycloak services involving The redirect_uri validation logic allows for bypassing explicitly allowed hosts that would otherwise be restricted under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Keycloak services versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 23.0.3 across affected packages: org.keycloak:keycloak-services.
What version fixes CVE-2023-6291?
Upgrading to 23.0.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is keycloak-services affected?
Yes, org.keycloak:keycloak-services is affected in releases prior to 23.0.3. Upgrade your dependency to 23.0.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-6291?
CVE-2023-6291 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-6291?
CVE-2023-6291 is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-6291?
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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-mpwq-j3xf-7m5w",
  "modified" : "2024-01-26T20:28:52Z",
  "published" : "2023-12-21T18:25:30Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-6291" ],
  "summary" : "The redirect_uri validation logic allows for bypassing explicitly allowed hosts that would otherwise be restricted",
  "details" : "An issue was found in the redirect_uri validation logic that allows for a bypass of otherwise explicitly allowed hosts.\n\nThe problem arises in the verifyRedirectUri method, which attempts to enforce rules on user-controllable input, but essentially causes a desynchronization in how Keycloak and browsers interpret URLs. Keycloak, for example, receives \"[www%2ekeycloak%2eorg%2fapp%2f:y@example.com](https://www%2ekeycloak%2eorg%2fapp%2f:y@example.com/)\" and thinks the authority to be keycloak.org when it is actually example.com. This happens because the validation logic is performed on a URL decoded version, which no longer represents the original input.\n\n### Acknowledgements\nKarel Knibbe ",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.keycloak:keycloak-services"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "23.0.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/security/advisories/GHSA-mpwq-j3xf-7m5w"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-6291"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/commit/b2e91105315ccf2c1df549b4f6c5948322cbfd1b"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7854"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7855"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7856"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7857"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7858"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7860"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7861"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-6291"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2251407"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-12-21T18:25:30Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-01-26T15:15:08Z"
  }
}