Description
A flaw was found in Keycloak. An authenticated user with low privileges can exploit this vulnerability by sending an oversized subject_token JSON Web Token (JWT) to the TokenEndpoint. When the token exceeds a 4000-character limit, it is silently dropped, causing the system to fall back to client credentials. This allows the user to gain the permissions of the client's service account, leading to privilege escalation.
Problem types
Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in Input
Product status
Timeline
| 2026-05-27: | Reported to Red Hat. |
| 2026-05-27: | Made public. |
Credits
Red Hat would like to thank Filip Jovanov (PegasusMKD) for reporting this issue.
References
access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-9704
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2481877 (RHBZ#2481877)