KeycloakApplication · Redhat
CVE-2018-14637
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe SAML broker consumer endpoint in Keycloak before version 4.6.0.Final ignores expiration conditions on SAML assertions. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to perform a replay attack.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe SAML broker consumer endpoint in Keycloak versions prior to 4.6.0.Final fails to validate expiration conditions on incoming SAML assertions. This allows an attacker who intercepts a valid SAML assertion to replay it beyond its intended validity period, potentially gaining unauthorized access to protected resources.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
KeycloakApplication
< 4.6.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Keycloak versionCheck the Keycloak server startup logs, or examine the JAR file version in the Keycloak installation directory (typically found in $KEYCLOAK_HOME/bin or the manifest within keycloak-server-*.jar). Alternatively, query the Keycloak REST API endpoint /auth/realms/{realm} or /realms/{realm} for the version attribute.Affected if The installed version is any release prior to 4.6.0.Final (e.g., 4.5.0, 4.4.0, 4.3.0, etc.)
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Confirm SAML broker is configuredReview the Keycloak configuration for SAML identity provider (IdP) broker connections. This is typically found in the Keycloak admin console under Identity Providers > SAML, or in the realm configuration XML file (typically in $KEYCLOAK_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml or the realm's realm-export.json). Look for entries with providerId of 'saml' or SAML-based identity providers.Affected if A SAML identity provider broker is configured and accepting SAML assertions from an external IdP
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Verify assertion expiration validation behaviorTest by submitting a SAML assertion with an expired NotOnOrAfter condition in the AuthnStatement or Conditions element to the SAML broker consumer endpoint (typically /auth/realms/{realm}/broker/saml/endpoint). Use a SAML tool or manually crafted assertion to include an expiration timestamp in the past.Affected if The assertion is accepted and grants access despite having a past expiration timestamp, indicating the validation is not being enforced
The environment is affected if Keycloak version is below 4.6.0.Final AND a SAML broker consumer endpoint is configured to accept SAML assertions from an external identity provider.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data4.6.0
Upgrade Keycloak to version 4.6.0.Final or later, which implements proper validation of SAML assertion expiration timestamps. Verify SAML authentication functions correctly and that expired assertions are rejected after the upgrade.
Fix this in Keycloak
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-14637 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-14637 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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