CVE-2017-7474 in Keycloak Node.js Adapter
Summary
by MITRE
It was found that the Keycloak Node.js adapter 2.5 - 3.0 did not handle invalid tokens correctly. An attacker could use this flaw to bypass authentication and gain access to restricted information, or to possibly conduct further attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7474 affects the Keycloak Node.js adapter version 2.5 through 3.0, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that directly impacts the security posture of applications relying on this identity and access management solution. This issue stems from improper handling of invalid tokens within the authentication flow, creating a significant weakness in the adapter's token validation mechanisms. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the system's failure to properly validate token states, potentially enabling unauthorized access to protected resources and sensitive information. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability directly undermines the fundamental security principles of authentication and authorization, as it permits attackers to circumvent the established access control measures that Keycloak is designed to enforce.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the adapter's inadequate token validation logic, which fails to properly distinguish between different states of token invalidation such as expired tokens, revoked tokens, or malformed tokens. When the adapter encounters invalid tokens, it does not implement proper error handling that would reject unauthorized access attempts or trigger appropriate security responses. This behavior creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate authentication flows by presenting invalid tokens that the system processes without proper scrutiny, effectively allowing unauthorized access to restricted information and resources. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and proper error handling that aligns with CWE-20, which addresses "Improper Input Validation" in software security implementations.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7474 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it creates opportunities for attackers to conduct more sophisticated attacks within the compromised environment. Once an attacker successfully bypasses the authentication mechanism, they can potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive user data, manipulate application functionality, or use the compromised session to pivot to other systems within the network. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations using Keycloak as their identity management solution for Node.js applications, where the security of user sessions and protected resources depends on the proper validation of authentication tokens. The consequences can include data breaches, unauthorized system modifications, and potential compliance violations depending on the nature of the protected information.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Keycloak Node.js adapter versions that address this flaw, typically versions beyond 3.0.0. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of their Keycloak implementations to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the upgraded adapter to ensure that token validation functions properly and that no regression issues have been introduced. Security controls should be enhanced to include additional monitoring of authentication attempts and token validation failures, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential harvesting and T1078 for valid accounts. Organizations should also review their overall authentication architecture to ensure that multiple layers of security are implemented to prevent single points of failure like this vulnerability represents.