Summary
Keycloak has lack of validation of access token on client registrations endpoint
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.
Impact
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
CVE-2023-0091 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (20.0.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-0091? CVE-2023-0091 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in org.keycloak:keycloak-core (maven), affecting versions <= 20.0.2. It is fixed in 20.0.3. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2023-0091? CVE-2023-0091 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of org.keycloak:keycloak-core are affected by CVE-2023-0091? org.keycloak:keycloak-core (maven) versions <= 20.0.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-0091? Yes. CVE-2023-0091 is fixed in 20.0.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-0091 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-0091 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-0091 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-0091? Upgrade
org.keycloak:keycloak-coreto 20.0.3 or later.