CVE-2024-7341 is a session fixation vulnerability identified in the SAML adapters of Keycloak, an open-source identity and access management solution widely used for single sign-on (SSO) and federated identity. The core issue lies in the failure to renew the session ID and JSESSIONID cookie upon user login, even when the 'turnOffChangeSessionIdOnLogin' option is configured. This misconfiguration or flaw allows an attacker who can hijack or predict a session ID prior to authentication to fixate that session. Once the victim authenticates, the attacker can reuse the fixed session ID to gain unauthorized access, effectively bypassing authentication controls. The vulnerability affects Keycloak versions 0, 23.0.0, and 25.0.0, indicating it spans multiple releases. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.1 reflects a high severity due to the potential for full compromise of user sessions, impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitation requires network access and some user interaction, such as tricking a user into authenticating with a session ID controlled by the attacker. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations relying on Keycloak for secure authentication. The flaw undermines the fundamental security principle of session management by not regenerating session identifiers upon login, a best practice to prevent session fixation attacks. This vulnerability is particularly critical in environments where SAML-based SSO is used to access sensitive applications and data.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-7341 can be severe. Keycloak is widely adopted in enterprises and public sector institutions across Europe for identity federation and access management. Successful exploitation allows attackers to hijack authenticated sessions, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data. This can result in data breaches, disruption of services, and compromise of user accounts. The integrity of authentication processes is undermined, increasing the risk of privilege escalation and lateral movement within networks. Critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and telecommunications, which often rely on SAML-based SSO solutions, are particularly vulnerable. The attack could facilitate espionage, fraud, or sabotage, especially in countries with high digital infrastructure reliance. Additionally, the persistence of session fixation vulnerabilities can erode trust in identity management systems and complicate compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not diminish the urgency for mitigation given the ease of exploitation once an attacker gains session access.

To mitigate CVE-2024-7341, European organizations should: 1) Monitor Keycloak vendor advisories and apply patches or updates as soon as they become available, as no official patch links are currently provided. 2) Review and adjust Keycloak configuration to ensure session IDs are regenerated upon login, explicitly disabling the 'turnOffChangeSessionIdOnLogin' option or verifying its correct behavior. 3) Implement additional session security controls such as setting secure, HttpOnly, and SameSite cookie attributes to reduce session hijacking risks. 4) Employ network-level protections including web application firewalls (WAFs) to detect and block suspicious session fixation attempts. 5) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on session management and authentication flows. 6) Educate users about phishing and social engineering risks that could facilitate session fixation exploitation. 7) Consider deploying multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security beyond session tokens. 8) Monitor logs for unusual session activity, such as multiple logins from the same session ID or unexpected session reuse. 9) Isolate critical systems and limit session lifetimes to reduce the window of opportunity for attackers. 10) Collaborate with identity management and security teams to ensure comprehensive coverage of session security best practices.