CVE-2018-14658 in JBoss KeyCloak
Summary
by MITRE
A flaw was found in JBOSS Keycloak 3.2.1.Final. The Redirect URL for both Login and Logout are not normalized in org.keycloak.protocol.oidc.utils.RedirectUtils before the redirect url is verified. This can lead to an Open Redirection attack
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14658 affects JBOSS Keycloak version 3.2.1.Final and represents a critical security flaw in the OpenID Connect protocol implementation. This issue resides within the redirect URL handling mechanism of the authentication system, specifically in the org.keycloak.protocol.oidc.utils.RedirectUtils class where URL normalization processes are bypassed before validation occurs. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate redirect parameters in authentication flows, creating a pathway for open redirection attacks that can be exploited to deceive users into visiting malicious websites.
The technical root cause stems from insufficient input validation and URL normalization within the authentication flow processing. When users attempt to log in or log out through Keycloak, the system should normalize redirect URLs to prevent malicious redirection attempts. However, in this vulnerable version, the redirect URL parameters for both login and logout operations are processed without proper normalization, allowing attackers to inject specially crafted URLs that bypass the intended security checks. This weakness aligns with CWE-601 Open Redirect vulnerability classification, where applications fail to validate that redirect destinations are legitimate and safe for user navigation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection attacks and can enable sophisticated phishing campaigns and credential theft operations. Attackers can craft malicious URLs that appear to originate from legitimate Keycloak domains, tricking users into revealing sensitive authentication information or navigating to attacker-controlled websites. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.002 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it enables attackers to create convincing phishing scenarios that leverage the trusted Keycloak authentication infrastructure. The attack vector becomes particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Keycloak serves as a central authentication service, potentially allowing attackers to compromise multiple applications that rely on this authentication system.
Organizations utilizing JBOSS Keycloak 3.2.1.Final should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions where URL normalization is properly enforced. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all redirect URLs undergo strict validation and normalization processes before any redirection occurs, implementing whitelisting mechanisms for allowed redirect domains, and conducting thorough security reviews of authentication flows. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous redirect patterns, and security awareness training should be provided to users to recognize potential phishing attempts that may exploit this vulnerability. The fix should also include implementing proper logging of redirect operations to enable forensic analysis and incident response capabilities when such attacks occur.