# CVE-2022-1245: Keycloak vulnerable to privilege escalation on Token Exchange feature

> A missing authorization flaw in Keycloak's token exchange allows clients to gain unauthorized access to additional services by specifying arbitrary target client IDs.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 7 Jul 2022
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-75p6-52g3-rqc8, RHSA-2022:1711, RHSA-2022:1712

## What is CVE-2022-1245?

CVE-2022-1245 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Redhat Keycloak, published on 7 Jul 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A privilege escalation flaw was found in the token exchange feature of keycloak. Missing authorization allows a client application holding a valid access token to exchange tokens for any target client by passing the client_id of the target. This could allow a client to gain unauthorized access to additional services.

Weakness: CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key), CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-1245?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.keycloak:keycloak-services. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.keycloak:keycloak-services` | Maven | All versions | 18.0.0 |
| `org.keycloak:keycloak-services` | Maven | All versions | 18.0.0 |
| `rh-sso7-keycloak` | Red Hat:red_hat_single_sign_on:7.5::el7 | All versions | 0:15.0.6-1.redhat_00002.1.el7sso |
| `rh-sso7-keycloak-server` | Red Hat:red_hat_single_sign_on:7.5::el7 | All versions | 0:15.0.6-1.redhat_00002.1.el7sso |
| `rh-sso7-keycloak` | Red Hat:red_hat_single_sign_on:7.5::el8 | All versions | 0:15.0.6-1.redhat_00002.1.el8sso |
| `rh-sso7-keycloak-server` | Red Hat:red_hat_single_sign_on:7.5::el8 | All versions | 0:15.0.6-1.redhat_00002.1.el8sso |

Products: Redhat Keycloak.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-1245?

Upgrade org.keycloak:keycloak-services to 18.0.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2022-1245 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-1245 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Keycloak

- [CVE-2022-4361](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4361/): Keycloak vulnerable to cross-site scripting when validating URI-schemes on SAML and OIDC (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2021-20195](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20195/): keycloak Self Stored Cross-site Scripting vulnerability (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2019-14910](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-14910/): Keycloak Authentication Error (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2019-14909](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-14909/): Keycloak Authentication Error (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2022-3782](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3782/): Keycloak vulnerable to path traversal via double URL encoding (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-1245 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-1245 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Redhat Keycloak, published on 7 Jul 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-1245 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.keycloak:keycloak-services (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 18.0.0
- org.keycloak:keycloak-services (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 18.0.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1245/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1245/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-1245
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-1245
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-1245

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1245/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.