CVE-2024-7260 is an open redirect vulnerability identified in Keycloak, an open-source identity and access management solution widely used for authentication and authorization. The flaw arises from improper validation of the referrer and referrer_uri parameters, which can be manipulated to redirect users from a trusted Keycloak URL to an attacker-controlled malicious site. This redirection can deceive users and automated systems into trusting the malicious destination, increasing the risk of phishing attacks or other social engineering exploits. Attackers can craft URLs that appear legitimate and send them to Keycloak administrators or users, who upon clicking, are redirected without suspicion. The vulnerability also has the potential to bypass domain-related security checks, such as those in OAuth redirect URI validation, by obfuscating the malicious redirect URI through URL encoding. Exploitation requires no privileges and no authentication but does require user interaction (clicking the malicious link). The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.1 (medium severity), reflecting its network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction and having limited impact on confidentiality and integrity. While no known exploits are reported in the wild, the vulnerability's presence in a critical authentication component like Keycloak makes it a significant concern for organizations relying on it for secure access management.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-7260 can be significant, especially for those using Keycloak as a central identity provider or for OAuth-based authentication flows. Successful exploitation can lead to phishing attacks targeting administrators or users, potentially resulting in credential theft, unauthorized access, or further compromise of internal systems. The ability to bypass OAuth redirect URI checks can undermine trust in authentication flows, enabling attackers to hijack sessions or escalate privileges. This risk is heightened in sectors with stringent compliance requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government, where identity compromise can lead to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, organizations with remote or hybrid workforces relying on Keycloak for single sign-on (SSO) are at increased risk due to the reliance on URL-based authentication flows. Although the vulnerability does not directly cause system compromise or data loss, it facilitates attack vectors that can lead to more severe breaches if combined with other exploits or social engineering tactics.

To mitigate CVE-2024-7260, organizations should implement strict validation of redirect URIs within Keycloak configurations, ensuring only pre-approved, exact-match URLs are allowed for redirection. Avoid using user-controllable parameters like referrer or referrer_uri for redirection purposes without rigorous sanitization and validation. Employ URL allowlists and reject any redirect URIs that do not conform to expected patterns. Educate Keycloak administrators and users to recognize suspicious URLs and phishing attempts, emphasizing caution when clicking links in unsolicited emails. Monitor logs for unusual redirect activity or repeated failed validation attempts. Where possible, update Keycloak to the latest patched version once available, or apply vendor-recommended workarounds. Additionally, consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the impact of credential theft resulting from phishing. Network-level protections such as web filtering and email security solutions can help block known malicious URLs and phishing campaigns exploiting this vulnerability.