CVE-2023-46249
authentik potential installation takeover when default admin user is deleted
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
Description
authentik is an open-source Identity Provider. Prior to versions 2023.8.4 and 2023.10.2, when the default admin user has been deleted, it is potentially possible for an attacker to set the password of the default admin user without any authentication. authentik uses a blueprint to create the default admin user, which can also optionally set the default admin users' password from an environment variable. When the user is deleted, the `initial-setup` flow used to configure authentik after the first installation becomes available again. authentik 2023.8.4 and 2023.10.2 fix this issue. As a workaround, ensure the default admin user (Username `akadmin`) exists and has a password set. It is recommended to use a very strong password for this user, and store it in a secure location like a password manager. It is also possible to deactivate the user to prevent any logins as akadmin.
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 12 days later
· 12 days later
Published
- 10 months later
· 10 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Critical9.7 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.80% · top 43% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Critical 9.7.
Weakness
Affected products
- affected < 2023.8.4
- affected >= 2023.10.0, < 2023.10.2
References (5)
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/security/advisories/GHSA-rjvp-29xq-f62w (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/261879022d25016d58867cf1f24e90b81ad618d0 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/ea75741ec22ecef34bc7073f1163e17a8a2bf9fc (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/releases/tag/version%2F2023.10.2 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/releases/tag/version%2F2023.8.4 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2023-46249)Record last updated .