authentik vulnerable to Improper Authentication via invitation URL token reuse
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · Low
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-287.
Summary
authentik is an open-source Identity Provider focused on flexibility and versatility. Versions prior to 2022.11.4 and 2022.10.4 are vulnerable to Improper Authentication. Token reuse in invitation URLs leads to access control bypass via the use of a different enrollment flow than in the one provided. The vulnerability allows an attacker that knows different invitation flows names (e.g. `enrollment-invitation-test` and `enrollment-invitation-admin`) via either different invite links or via brute forcing to signup via a single invitation url for any valid invite link received (it can even be a url for a third flow as long as it's a valid invite) as the token used in the `Invitations` section of the Admin interface does NOT change when a different `enrollment flow` is selected via the interface and it is NOT bound to the selected flow, so it will be valid for any flow when used. This issue is patched in authentik 2022.11.4,2022.10.4 and 2022.12.0. Only configurations that use invitations and have multiple enrollment flows with invitation stages that grant different permissions are affected. The default configuration is not vulnerable, and neither are configurations with a single enrollment flow. As a workaround, fixed data can be added to invitations which can be checked in the flow to deny requests. Alternatively, an identifier with high entropy (like a UUID) can be used as flow slug, mitigating the attack vector by exponentially decreasing the possibility of discovering other flows.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| goauthentik | authentik | 2022.11.0 to before 2022.11.4; before 2022.10.4 | 2022.11.4, 2022.10.4 | Patch available | CNA |
- authentik Vendorgoauthentik Affected 2022.11.0 to before 2022.11.4; before 2022.10.4 Fixed in 2022.11.4, 2022.10.4 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:goauthentik:authentik:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 2022.10.4; 2022.11.0 to before 2022.11.4 | Vulnerable | goauthentik |
- cpe:2.3:a:goauthentik:authentik:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 2022.10.4; 2022.11.0 to before 2022.11.4 Vulnerable ·goauthentik
Remediation
- Fix · CNA authentik (goauthentik) Fixed in 2022.11.4, 2022.10.4
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2022-23555
More goauthentik Authentik vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-36603 authentik: SourceStage bypass via empty POST CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-36598 authentik: `UserSourceConnection.user` and `GroupSourceConnection.group` are changeable through the API CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-22816 authentik allows existing authenticated users to create arbitrary accounts CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.4
- TI-2024-25628 Insufficient access control for OAuth2 Device Code flow in authentik CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-24876 authentik potential installation takeover when default admin user is deleted CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-34964 authentik has an insecure default configuration for OAuth2 Redirect URIs CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.9
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences