CVE-2024-10492 is a vulnerability identified in Keycloak, an open-source identity and access management solution widely used for single sign-on and authentication services. The flaw involves external control of file name or path, enabling a user with high privileges on the Keycloak server to read sensitive information from Vault files that are outside the expected operational context. Specifically, an attacker must already have elevated access rights, such as the ability to create resources like LDAP provider configurations, to exploit this issue. The exploit allows the attacker to query the existence of Vault files, which may contain sensitive data, but does not permit reading the file contents or modifying them. This limits the confidentiality impact to information disclosure about file presence rather than actual data leakage. The vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability, and no user interaction is required beyond the initial privileged access. The CVSS v3.0 base score is 2.7, indicating low severity. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked at the time of publication. The vulnerability highlights the importance of controlling and auditing high privilege users within Keycloak environments, as the prerequisite access level significantly reduces the attack surface. Organizations using Keycloak should monitor for unusual resource creation activities and ensure that Vault file permissions and access controls are properly configured to prevent unauthorized file existence probing.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-10492 is limited due to the requirement for prior high-level access to the Keycloak server. However, in environments where Keycloak is used to manage critical identity and access management functions, even limited information disclosure about Vault files could aid an attacker in further reconnaissance or lateral movement. The vulnerability does not allow direct data exfiltration or system disruption, so the immediate risk to confidentiality, integrity, and availability is low. Nevertheless, organizations with complex Keycloak deployments, especially those integrating with LDAP or other sensitive identity providers, may face increased risk if privileged user accounts are compromised or improperly managed. The threat could facilitate more targeted attacks by revealing the presence of sensitive Vault files, potentially aiding attackers in planning subsequent exploits. European entities in sectors such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure that rely heavily on Keycloak for authentication services should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessments, particularly focusing on privilege management and monitoring.

To mitigate CVE-2024-10492 effectively, European organizations should implement strict access control policies limiting the number of users with high privileges on Keycloak servers. Privileged accounts should be regularly audited for unusual activities, especially resource creation actions like LDAP provider configurations. Employing the principle of least privilege will reduce the likelihood of exploitation. Organizations should also monitor Keycloak logs for anomalous file access or resource creation patterns that could indicate attempts to probe Vault files. Segmentation of Keycloak infrastructure and Vault storage can further reduce exposure. Until official patches or updates are released, consider restricting Vault file permissions to minimize information leakage about file existence. Additionally, integrating Keycloak with centralized security information and event management (SIEM) systems can enhance detection capabilities. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans tailored to identity management systems to quickly respond if exploitation attempts are detected.