CVE-2025-20628 Overview
An insufficient granularity of access control vulnerability exists in PingIDM (formerly ForgeRock Identity Management) where administrators cannot properly configure access rules for Remote Connector Servers (RCS) running in client mode. This vulnerability allows attackers to spoof a client-mode RCS (if one exists) to intercept and/or modify an identity's security-relevant properties, such as passwords and account recovery information.
Critical Impact
Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can intercept and modify sensitive identity properties including passwords and account recovery information, potentially leading to complete account takeover.
Affected Products
- PingIDM (formerly ForgeRock Identity Management)
- Deployments with Remote Connector Servers (RCS) configured in client mode
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-04-07 - CVE CVE-2025-20628 published to NVD
- 2026-04-08 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-20628
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability stems from CWE-1220: Insufficient Granularity of Access Control. The core issue lies in the inability of administrators to properly configure fine-grained access rules for Remote Connector Servers operating in client mode within PingIDM deployments.
When RCS is configured in client mode, the system lacks adequate mechanisms to distinguish between legitimate and spoofed connector servers. This architectural limitation means that an attacker who can position themselves on the network path or compromise network communications can impersonate a legitimate client-mode RCS instance.
The vulnerability requires specific preconditions—namely, that an RCS must already be configured to run in client mode. However, when these conditions are met, the impact is severe: attackers can intercept identity synchronization traffic and modify security-critical attributes including authentication credentials and account recovery mechanisms.
Root Cause
The root cause is an architectural limitation in PingIDM's access control implementation for Remote Connector Servers. The system does not provide sufficient granularity in its access control configuration to allow administrators to properly authenticate and authorize client-mode RCS connections. This means there is no robust mechanism to verify that incoming RCS client connections are from legitimate, authorized connector server instances.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based, requiring the attacker to position themselves where they can intercept or inject traffic between the PingIDM server and legitimate Remote Connector Servers. The attacker would need to:
- Identify an environment where RCS is configured in client mode
- Understand the communication protocol between PingIDM and RCS
- Spoof a client-mode RCS instance to intercept legitimate traffic
- Modify identity properties such as passwords or account recovery information in transit
The vulnerability enables man-in-the-middle attacks on identity synchronization workflows, allowing attackers to silently modify sensitive user attributes without detection.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-20628
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected RCS client connections from unrecognized IP addresses or hostnames
- Anomalous password or account recovery information changes that users did not initiate
- Multiple simultaneous RCS client connections that should only have single instances
- Authentication logs showing credential updates without corresponding user-initiated requests
Detection Strategies
- Monitor and alert on new or unexpected Remote Connector Server connections to PingIDM infrastructure
- Implement network traffic analysis to detect duplicate or spoofed RCS communications
- Review audit logs for identity attribute modifications, particularly passwords and recovery information, correlating with legitimate change requests
- Deploy network segmentation monitoring to detect unauthorized communication paths to identity management systems
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for all RCS communications and regularly review for anomalies
- Implement real-time alerting for identity attribute changes on privileged or sensitive accounts
- Monitor network flows to and from PingIDM servers for unexpected source addresses
- Establish baseline behavior for RCS connection patterns and alert on deviations
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-20628
Immediate Actions Required
- Review all PingIDM deployments to identify instances where RCS is configured in client mode
- Implement network segmentation to restrict which systems can communicate with PingIDM RCS endpoints
- Enable additional monitoring and alerting on identity attribute changes
- Consider temporarily disabling client-mode RCS configurations until patches can be applied
Patch Information
Ping Identity has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Organizations should obtain the latest PingIDM version from the Ping Identity IDM Downloads portal. Additional details about this vulnerability and remediation steps are available in the ForgeRock Security Advisory.
Workarounds
- Where possible, reconfigure Remote Connector Servers to operate in server mode rather than client mode to avoid the vulnerable configuration
- Implement strict network access controls limiting which IP addresses can establish RCS connections
- Deploy TLS certificate pinning or mutual TLS authentication as an additional layer of verification for RCS communications
- Use VPN tunnels or other encrypted channels for all RCS traffic to reduce interception risk
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
