CVE-2026-114438 in Keycloak
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
A flaw was found in the Update User Locale required action of the Keycloak identity and access management solution. When this action is ordered before the Configure OTP action in a realm, the system may fail to enforce mandatory multi-factor authentication enrollment during the login process. This issue allows an attacker with a valid password to access an account without setting up the required one-time password (OTP) credential.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified within Keycloak pertains specifically to the execution order of user-required actions, which are critical steps enforced by the identity and access management platform during authentication flows. The flaw resides in the logic governing the Update User Locale action when it is positioned prior to the Configure OTP required action within a realm's configuration. In standard operational scenarios, realms enforce mandatory multi-factor authentication (MFA) enrollment by requiring users to complete specific actions before gaining full access to their accounts. However, due to an implementation defect in how these sequential requirements are processed, the system fails to properly validate or enforce the subsequent Configure OTP action if the locale update is completed first. This sequencing error creates a bypass mechanism where the authentication flow considers the user's required actions as satisfied prematurely, effectively skipping the mandatory security check for one-time password setup.
From a technical perspective, this issue represents a logic flaw in the state machine that manages user session progression and requirement enforcement. When an administrator configures a realm to require OTP enrollment, Keycloak is designed to intercept login attempts until the user has generated or linked a valid TOTP credential. The defect allows the authentication pipeline to proceed past the MFA checkpoint if the locale update action completes successfully beforehand. This behavior contradicts the intended security posture of the platform, which relies on strict adherence to configured required actions to ensure that high-assurance authentication methods are in place for all designated users. The vulnerability essentially undermines the integrity of the multi-factor authentication policy by allowing a valid password holder to bypass the secondary factor requirement through specific action sequencing rather than exploiting a cryptographic weakness or input validation error.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, particularly for organizations that rely on Keycloak to enforce strict identity governance and compliance standards. An attacker possessing a valid username and password can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to user accounts without ever setting up the required one-time password credential. This bypass effectively reduces multi-factor authentication to single-factor authentication in specific configuration scenarios, exposing sensitive data and systems to compromise via stolen credentials or brute-force attacks. For environments where regulatory compliance mandates MFA for all users, such as those adhering to NIST guidelines or industry-specific standards like PCI DSS, this flaw represents a critical deviation from required security controls. The ability to bypass MFA increases the attack surface significantly, allowing potential adversaries to leverage phishing campaigns or credential stuffing attacks with higher success rates since the secondary layer of defense is rendered ineffective for affected configurations.
To mitigate this risk, administrators must immediately review and adjust the order of required actions within their Keycloak realms. It is recommended to ensure that security-critical actions such as Configure OTP are prioritized in the execution sequence before less critical administrative tasks like updating user locale. By reordering these actions so that MFA enrollment occurs first or independently of locale updates, the system can properly enforce the mandatory authentication step regardless of other completed actions. Additionally, organizations should implement continuous monitoring and auditing of login attempts to detect any anomalies indicative of this bypass technique. Regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on identity management workflows are essential to identify similar logic flaws in complex IAM configurations. Keeping Keycloak updated to versions where such sequencing defects have been patched is also a fundamental mitigation strategy, ensuring that the platform's built-in safeguards function as intended without requiring manual workarounds for action ordering.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-840, which describes incorrect enforcement of mandatory multi-factor authentication, and falls under the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, specifically relating to valid accounts being used to bypass security controls through misconfiguration or logic errors. The incident highlights the importance of rigorous configuration management in identity and access management systems, where subtle changes in workflow sequencing can have profound implications for overall security posture. Organizations must treat required action ordering not merely as a user experience convenience but as a critical component of their authentication architecture that requires careful validation against evolving threat landscapes.