CVE-2023-26481: Insufficient user check in FlowTokens by Email stage
authentik is an open-source Identity Provider. Due to an insufficient access check, a recovery flow link that is created by an admin (or sent via email by an admin) can be used to set the password for any arbitrary user. This attack is only possible if a recovery flow exists, which has both an Identification and an Email stage bound to it. If the flow has policies on the identification stage to skip it when the flow is restored (by checking request.context['isrestored']), the flow is not affected by this. With this flow in place, an administrator must create a recovery Link or send a recovery URL to the attacker, who can, due to the improper validation of the token create, set the password for any account. Regardless, for custom recovery flows it is recommended to add a policy that checks if the flow is restored, and skips the identification stage. This issue has been fixed in versions 2023.2.3, 2023.1.3 and 2022.12.2.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-26481?
CVE-2023-26481 is a vulnerability in authentik, an open-source Identity Provider, which allows an attacker to set the password for any user using a recovery flow link.
How does CVE-2023-26481 work?
CVE-2023-26481 is caused by an insufficient access check in authentik, allowing an admin-created or emailed recovery flow link to be used to reset the password for any user.
What software versions are affected by CVE-2023-26481?
CVE-2023-26481 affects versions up to exclusive 2022.12.3, between exclusive-inclusive 2023.1.0 and 2023.1.3, and between exclusive-inclusive 2023.2.0 and 2023.2.3 of Goauthentik Authentik.
What is the severity of CVE-2023-26481?
CVE-2023-26481 has a severity of 6.5 (critical).
How can CVE-2023-26481 be fixed?
To fix CVE-2023-26481, it is recommended to update to a version of Goauthentik Authentik that is not affected by the vulnerability.