Privilege escalation via SAML signature scope confusion
Published Sep 19, 2024 · Updated Aug 4, 2026
Improper SAML signature verification in Keycloak before 25.0.5 allows remote authenticated users to impersonate privileged users. XMLSignatureUtil infers whether a signature covers the document or an assertion from its XML position instead of its Reference element, accepting an injected unsigned assertion alongside a valid signed assertion. Exploitation requires low-privileged access and a crafted SAML response; successful validation grants unauthorized access as the asserted privileged identity.
Summary
What happened
Improper SAML signature verification in Keycloak before 25.0.5 allows remote authenticated users to impersonate privileged users. XMLSignatureUtil infers whether a signature covers the document or an assertion from its XML position instead of its Reference element, accepting an injected unsigned assertion alongside a valid signed assertion. Exploitation requires low-privileged access and a crafted SAML response; successful validation grants unauthorized access as the asserted privileged identity.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-8698
- Published
- Sep 19, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 4, 2026
- Vendor
- Red Hat
- Product
- RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers
- Classifications
- CWE-347, T1606.002
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 19, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 4, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- CVE-2024-8698-POCproof of concept · unverified
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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