# CVE-2023-4918: Plaintext storage of user password

> Attackers with minimal access can retrieve user passwords in plaintext due to improper storage during registration, compromising account security.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5q66-v53q-pm35

## What is CVE-2023-4918?

CVE-2023-4918 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Keycloak, published on 12 Sep 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was found in the Keycloak package, more specifically org.keycloak.userprofile. When a user registers itself through registration flow, the "password" and "password-confirm" field from the form will occur as regular user attributes. All users and clients with proper rights and roles are able to read users attributes, allowing a malicious user with minimal access to retrieve the users passwords in clear text, jeopardizing their environment.

Weakness: CWE-319 (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information), CWE-256 (Plaintext Storage of a Password)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-4918?

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


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.keycloak:keycloak-core` | Maven | From 22.0.2 | 22.0.3 |
| `org.keycloak:keycloak-core` | Maven | From 22.0.2 | 22.0.3 |

Products: Redhat Keycloak.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-4918?

Upgrade org.keycloak:keycloak-core to 22.0.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-4918 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-4918 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-2022-1245](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1245/): Keycloak vulnerable to privilege escalation on Token Exchange feature (critical 9.8)
- [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)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-4918 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-4918 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Keycloak, published on 12 Sep 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-4918 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.keycloak:keycloak-core (Maven): affected from 22.0.2; fixed in 22.0.3
- org.keycloak:keycloak-core (Maven): affected from 22.0.2; fixed in 22.0.3

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-2023-4918/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4918/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4918
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4918
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-4918

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4918/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.