Keycloak: manage-clients permission escalates to full realm admin access
A flaw was found in Keycloak. An administrator with manage-clients permission can exploit a misconfiguration where this permission is equivalent to manage-permissions. This allows the administrator to escalate privileges and gain control over roles, users, or other administrative functions within the realm. This privilege escalation can occur when admin permissions are enabled at the realm level.
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | org.keycloak:keycloak-services | < 26.5.6 | 26.5.6 |
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-3121
- https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/issues/46719
- https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/commit/79ab3110a257fb8d6f1a664c916687128094ed01
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:6477
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:6478
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-3121
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2442277
- https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-266- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
org.keycloak:keycloak-services- Disclosed
- 26.03.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 12:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-7xf9-4jfc-wgm4 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: org.keycloak:keycloak-services
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 98
- First → latest
- 01.2022 08.2026
- Without a fix
- 16
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 3
- High 26
- Medium 51
- Low 18
Disclosures per year
- 2022: 9
- 2023: 9
- 2024: 17
- 2025: 11
- 2026: 52
-
Keycloak: manage-clients permission escalates to full realm admin access this entry
Know which vulnerabilities affect your application
With the DockRay integration and software inventory enabled, DockRay checks reported component versions against known vulnerabilities and notifies you about confirmed matches. Coverage depends on the supported technology and available advisory data.