# CVE-2026-9796: Keycloak: keycloak: privilege escalation via time-of-check to time-of-use (toctou) vulnerability

> An authenticated administrator can exploit a race condition to escalate privileges to realm-admin, gaining extensive control over the Keycloak system.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 28 May 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pq65-77rc-7r8c

## What is CVE-2026-9796?

CVE-2026-9796 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Build of Keycloak, published on 28 May 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was found in Keycloak. An authenticated administrator with the `manage-clients` role can exploit a Time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) vulnerability in the name-based admin role checks. This allows the attacker to escalate their privileges to `realm-admin` for all users within the realm, granting them extensive control over the system. The composite role relationship persists even after the attacker's own permissions are revoked and across system reboots.

Weakness: CWE-367 (Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-9796?

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


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.keycloak:keycloak-server` | Maven | All versions | 26.6.4 |
| `org.keycloak:keycloak-server` | Maven | All versions | 26.6.4 |

Products: Redhat Build of Keycloak.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-9796?

Upgrade org.keycloak:keycloak-server to 26.6.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-9796 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-9796 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Build of Keycloak

- [CVE-2026-15572](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15572/): Keycloak-services: keycloak-services: dcr protocol mapper type-swap policy bypass allows privilege escalation (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-3047](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-3047/): Keycloak SAML Broken has Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-15573](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15573/): Keycloak-services: keycloak-services: authorization bypass via unnormalized uri matching in pathmatcher (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2026-16102](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16102/): Keycloak-services: keycloak-services: default dcr policy allows role forgery via user property mappers (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2026-1609](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-1609/): Org.keycloak/keycloak-quarkus-server: keycloak: unauthorized access via jwt authorization grant with disabled users (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-9796 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-9796 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Build of Keycloak, published on 28 May 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-9796 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.keycloak:keycloak-server (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 26.6.4
- org.keycloak:keycloak-server (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 26.6.4

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-2026-9796/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-9796/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-9796
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-9796
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-9796

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-9796/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.