Skip to content

Potential Installation takeover when default admin user is deleted

Critical
BeryJu published GHSA-rjvp-29xq-f62w Oct 28, 2023

Package

authentik

Affected versions

<= 2023.8.3
<= 2023.10.1

Patched versions

2023.8.4
2023.10.2

Description

Summary

In the affected versions, when the default admin user has been deleted, it is potentially possible for an attacker to set the password of the default admin user without any authentication.

Patches

authentik 2023.8.4 and 2023.10.2 fix this issue, for other versions the workaround can be used.

Impact

authentik uses a blueprint to create the default admin user, which can also optionally set the default admin users' password from an environment variable. When the user is deleted, the initial-setup flow used to configure authentik after the first installation becomes available again.

Workarounds

Ensure the default admin user (Username akadmin) exists and has a password set. It is recommended to use a very strong password for this user, and store it in a secure location like a password manager. It is also possible to deactivate the user to prevent any logins as akadmin.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Severity

Critical

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE ID

CVE-2023-46249

Weaknesses

No CWEs

Credits