Keycloak: keycloak: privilege escalation via time-of-check to time-of-use (toctou) vulnerability
Priority LOW 28CWE-367Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 2 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat.
Summary
A flaw was found in Keycloak. An authenticated administrator with the `manage-clients` role can exploit a Time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) vulnerability in the name-based admin role checks. This allows the attacker to escalate their privileges to `realm-admin` for all users within the realm, granting them extensive control over the system. The composite role relationship persists even after the attacker's own permissions are revoked and across system reboots.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00219 12th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial org.keycloak:keycloak-server (Maven): 26.6.4Red Hat: 2 advisoriesRed Hat: 2 fixed, 1 without a fix
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat | Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 | — | 26.6.6-1 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 | — | 26.6-12 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 | — | 26.6-12 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6.6 | — | — | Not affected | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Build of Keycloak | — | — | No fix listed | CNA |
| — | org.keycloak:keycloak-server (Maven) | before 26.6.4 | 26.6.4 | Patch available | GHSA-pq65-77rc-7r8c |
- Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 26.6.6-1 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 26.6-12 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 26.6-12 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6.6 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in — Not affected CNA
- Red Hat Build of Keycloak VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
- org.keycloak:keycloak-server (Maven) Vendor— Affected before 26.6.4 Fixed in 26.6.4 Patch available GHSA-pq65-77rc-7r8c
Remediation
- Fix · GHSA-pq65-77rc-7r8c org.keycloak:keycloak-server (Maven) Fixed in 26.6.4 Advisory →
Red Hat 2 advisories
- RHSA-2026:56524 Released 2026-08-18 · Red Hat rating CriticalRed Hat build of Keycloak 26.6.6 Images Security Update
- Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 rhbk/keycloak-operator-bundle, rhbk/keycloak-rhel9, rhbk/keycloak-rhel9-operator
- RHSA-2026:56523 Released 2026-08-18 · Red Hat rating CriticalRed Hat build of Keycloak 26.6.6 Security Update
- Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6.6
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Build of Keycloak | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:56524 |
| Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6.6 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:56523 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-9796
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-pq65-77rc-7r8c
References
Advisory 5
More Red Hat Build Of Keycloak vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-02223 Keycloak: keycloak: unauthorized authentication via disabled saml identity provider CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
- TI-2024-01049 Keycloak: path transversal in redirection validation CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
- TI-2026-13740 Keycloak-services: keycloak-services: saml idp-initiated broker login bypasses link-only restriction CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-13741 Keycloak-services: keycloak-services: saml broker metadata import disables response signature validation CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-13106 Keycloak-services: keycloak-services: dcr protocol mapper type-swap policy bypass allows privilege escalation CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2026-02631 Authentication bypass in Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.2 CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-9796 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-9796 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-pq65-77rc-7r8c · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-9796 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences