CVE-2022-0225 — keycloak-core
CVE-2022-0225 is a Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.keycloak:keycloak-core. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.keycloak:keycloak-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Keycloak via groups dropdown
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
org.keycloak:keycloak-coreReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
A flaw was found in Keycloak. This flaw allows a privileged attacker to use the malicious payload as the group name while creating a new group from the admin console, leading to a stored Cross-site scripting (XSS) attack.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.keycloak:keycloak-core | all versions | 20.0.0org.keycloak:keycloak-core:20.0.0 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.keycloak:keycloak-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.keycloak:keycloak-core to 20.0.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-0225 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2022-0225 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2022-0225. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Single Sign-On 7 | rh-sso7-keycloak | RHSA-2022:6787 |
| Red Hat Single Sign-On 7.5 for RHEL 7 | rh-sso7-keycloak-0:15.0.8-1.redhat_00001.1.el7sso | RHSA-2022:6782 |
| Red Hat Single Sign-On 7.5 for RHEL 8 | rh-sso7-keycloak-0:15.0.8-1.redhat_00001.1.el8sso | RHSA-2022:6783 |
| Red Hat Single Sign-On 7.6.1 | rh-sso7-keycloak | RHSA-2022:7417 |
| Red Hat Single Sign-On 7.6 for RHEL 7 | rh-sso7-keycloak-0:18.0.3-1.redhat_00001.1.el7sso | RHSA-2022:7409 |
| Red Hat Single Sign-On 7.6 for RHEL 8 | rh-sso7-keycloak-0:18.0.3-1.redhat_00001.1.el8sso | RHSA-2022:7410 |
| Red Hat Single Sign-On 7.6 for RHEL 9 | rh-sso7-0:1-5.el9sso | RHSA-2022:7411 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-0225 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2022-0225 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.