A flaw was found in Keycloak. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger an application level Denial of Service (DoS) by sending a highly compressed SAMLRequest through the SAML Redirect Binding. The server fails to enforce size limits during DEFLATE decompression, leading to an OutOfMemoryError (OOM) and subsequent process termination. This vulnerability allows an attacker to disrupt the availability of the service.
This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.3, classifying it as medium severity. The potential impact is low availability, which can affect service continuity. Organizations should prioritize addressing this vulnerability to mitigate risks associated with service disruptions.
Currently, this vulnerability is awaiting analysis, and there are no confirmed public exploits. Nevertheless, the risk to organizations includes potential service outages that could affect end-users and operations.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to ensure the availability of their services remains intact against this vulnerability.
Vulnerability Details
A flaw was found in Keycloak. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger an application level Denial of Service (DoS) by sending a highly compressed SAMLRequest through the SAML Redirect Binding. The server fails to enforce size limits during DEFLATE decompression, leading to an OutOfMemoryError (OOM) and subsequent process termination.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 5.3, indicating medium severity. This vulnerability affects the availability of the service but does not impact confidentiality or integrity.
Keycloak is the affected product, with no specific vendor details provided. The CWE classification for this vulnerability is CWE-409.
Technical Analysis
Root cause analysis indicates that the vulnerability arises from the lack of enforced size limits during the DEFLATE decompression process, potentially allowing for an excessive memory allocation.
The attack vector is network-based, with low complexity involved in triggering the attack. No privileges are required, and user interaction is not necessary.
The impact on confidentiality is none, while the integrity and availability impacts are classified as low.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The real-world deployment risk associated with this vulnerability can lead to significant service interruptions, affecting both users and organizational operations. The blast radius potential is moderate, as it can disrupt services for all users of Keycloak.
Given the medium CVSS score, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle. Effective remediation is essential to maintain service availability and protect against potential exploitation.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
All versions prior to vendor patch are affected. Specific version ranges are not listed.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should monitor for updates from the vendor regarding the release of patches. It is recommended to implement configuration hardening to limit the size of SAMLRequests.
For effective remediation, organizations should consider engaging in penetration testing to assess their security posture.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation attempts, organizations should monitor application logs for unusual SAMLRequest sizes and patterns. Behavioral anomalies during authentication processes should also be investigated.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of this vulnerability highlights the need for robust validation of input sizes in application processing. Organizations should take this as a lesson to enforce strict checks on incoming data.
This vulnerability represents a trend where application-level vulnerabilities can lead to service disruptions.
Security teams should enhance their testing methodologies to include scenarios that involve edge cases and size limits.
For further insights on enhancing application security, organizations can explore our application security assessment services.
Additionally, staying informed on the latest trends in application vulnerabilities can be achieved through our vulnerability management program.
Lastly, for continuous improvement in security practices, organizations should consider our penetration testing methodology resources.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

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