CVE-2024-10451: Keycloak Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2024-10451 Overview

A sensitive data exposure vulnerability has been identified in Keycloak, the popular open-source identity and access management solution. This flaw occurs because sensitive runtime values, such as passwords, may be captured during the Keycloak build process and embedded as default values in bytecode, leading to unintended information disclosure.

In Keycloak 26, sensitive data specified directly in environment variables during the build process is stored as default values, making it accessible during runtime. Additionally, indirect usage of environment variables for SPI (Service Provider Interface) options and Quarkus properties is vulnerable due to unconditional expansion by PropertyMapper logic, capturing sensitive data as default values in all Keycloak versions up to 26.0.2.

Critical Impact

Sensitive credentials and passwords embedded during build time may be exposed to unauthorized parties with access to Keycloak bytecode or runtime environment, potentially compromising identity management infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Keycloak versions up to 26.0.2
• Red Hat build of Keycloak
• Red Hat Single Sign-On (SSO)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-11-25 - CVE-2024-10451 published to NVD
• 2024-11-25 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-10451

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials), though the mechanism is more nuanced than typical hardcoded credential issues. The flaw stems from how Keycloak's build process handles environment variables and configuration properties.

During the Keycloak build phase, the PropertyMapper logic unconditionally expands environment variables used for SPI options and Quarkus properties. This expansion captures the values at build time and embeds them directly into the compiled bytecode as default values. When sensitive information such as database passwords, LDAP bind credentials, or API keys are passed via environment variables during the build, these values become permanently embedded in the application artifacts.

The issue is particularly concerning because organizations following containerization best practices often pass secrets via environment variables during image building, inadvertently baking those secrets into the final container image.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in the PropertyMapper logic within Keycloak's configuration system. When processing SPI options and Quarkus properties, the mapper unconditionally resolves and expands environment variable references at build time rather than deferring resolution to runtime. This design decision, while potentially intended for performance optimization, creates a security vulnerability when sensitive data is involved.

The bytecode generation process then stores these expanded values as compile-time constants, making them accessible to anyone who can inspect the compiled classes or decompile the application.

Attack Vector

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability through several scenarios:

The vulnerability requires network access but has high attack complexity. An attacker would need to obtain access to the Keycloak deployment artifacts, container images, or bytecode to extract the embedded credentials. Once obtained, the attacker could decompile or inspect the bytecode to retrieve sensitive values such as database passwords, LDAP credentials, or other secrets that were present during build time. These extracted credentials could then be used to access backend systems, escalate privileges, or perform lateral movement within the organization's infrastructure.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-10451

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected access to backend databases or LDAP directories from unauthorized sources
• Suspicious decompilation or reverse engineering attempts targeting Keycloak artifacts
• Unauthorized access patterns to systems using credentials that should only be known to Keycloak
• Evidence of container image extraction or analysis in deployment environments

Detection Strategies

• Audit build logs and CI/CD pipelines for environment variables containing sensitive data passed during Keycloak builds
• Scan compiled Keycloak bytecode for hardcoded credential patterns using static analysis tools
• Monitor for unusual access to container registries or artifact repositories containing Keycloak images
• Review access logs on systems that share credentials with Keycloak for unauthorized authentication attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Implement runtime application self-protection (RASP) to detect credential extraction attempts
• Enable detailed logging on backend systems (databases, LDAP) to detect unauthorized access using potentially exposed credentials
• Monitor file system access to Keycloak deployment directories for suspicious read operations
• Set up alerts for unusual container image pull activities or artifact downloads

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-10451

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Keycloak to patched versions as specified in Red Hat Security Advisories
• Rotate all credentials that may have been exposed during previous build processes
• Audit existing Keycloak container images and deployments for embedded sensitive data
• Review and modify build processes to avoid passing secrets via environment variables at build time

Patch Information

Red Hat has released multiple security advisories addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should apply the appropriate patches based on their deployment:

• Red Hat Security Advisory RHSA-2024:10175
• Red Hat Security Advisory RHSA-2024:10176
• Red Hat Security Advisory RHSA-2024:10177
• Red Hat Security Advisory RHSA-2024:10178

Additional details are available in Red Hat Bugzilla Entry #2322096 and the Red Hat CVE Analysis.

Workarounds

• Use runtime secret injection mechanisms (such as Kubernetes Secrets mounted as files) instead of environment variables during build
• Implement multi-stage Docker builds where sensitive configuration is only introduced at runtime
• Utilize external secret management solutions (HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) with runtime resolution
• Rebuild Keycloak images without sensitive environment variables and configure secrets post-deployment

# Example: Using Kubernetes secrets at runtime instead of build-time env vars
# Mount secrets as files rather than environment variables during build
kubectl create secret generic keycloak-secrets \
  --from-literal=db-password='secure-password' \
  --from-literal=ldap-password='ldap-secret'

# Reference in deployment with volume mount (runtime resolution)
# volumes:
#   - name: keycloak-secrets
#     secret:
#       secretName: keycloak-secrets