CVE-2025-0604 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 arises during the password reset process for users authenticated via Active Directory (AD). Normally, when a user resets their AD password through Keycloak, the system should perform an LDAP bind operation to authenticate the new credentials against the AD server, ensuring that the password change is valid and the account is still active. However, due to improper authentication logic, Keycloak updates the password without performing this critical LDAP bind check. This omission allows users whose AD accounts are expired or disabled to bypass AD restrictions and regain access through Keycloak. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without user interaction but requires some level of privileges within Keycloak (PR:L). The impact includes unauthorized access to systems protected by Keycloak, potentially leading to further privilege escalation or data exposure. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.4 (medium), reflecting the moderate impact on confidentiality and integrity but no impact on availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The issue highlights the importance of proper validation in federated authentication systems and the risks of bypassing backend directory service checks.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to critical systems and applications protected by Keycloak, especially those integrated with Active Directory for user authentication. Attackers or insiders with expired or disabled AD accounts could regain access, undermining account lifecycle management and security policies. This could result in data breaches, unauthorized data modification, or lateral movement within networks. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure, which often rely on strict access controls and identity federation, are particularly at risk. The vulnerability could also erode trust in identity management systems and complicate compliance with regulations like GDPR, which mandate strict access controls and data protection. Although exploitation requires some privileges within Keycloak, the risk remains significant in environments where account management is complex and where expired or disabled accounts are expected to be fully blocked.

To mitigate CVE-2025-0604, organizations should immediately review their Keycloak configurations related to Active Directory integration and password reset workflows. Keycloak deployments must be updated to the latest patched versions once available from the vendor or community. In the interim, administrators should enforce additional controls such as monitoring and alerting on password reset activities, especially for accounts that are expired or disabled in AD. Implementing strict account lifecycle management and periodic audits of AD and Keycloak user states can help detect anomalies. Network segmentation and limiting Keycloak administrative privileges reduce the risk of exploitation. Additionally, organizations could consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add a layer of security that is not bypassed by this vulnerability. Finally, coordinating with identity management and security teams to ensure proper synchronization and validation between Keycloak and AD is critical.