# CVE-2026-18573: Keycloak client policy bypass in confidential client creation

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18573-keycloak-client-policy-bypass-in-confidential-client-creation  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-02. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-18573 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.5 · Published 2026-08-02

Keycloak is an open-source authentication and authorization platform used to manage user login and access control. A security flaw allows realm administrators' clients with management permissions to bypass enforced security policies by creating a public client and then converting it to a confidential client with weaker authentication requirements, resulting in non-compliant security configurations persisting in the system.

Technologies: [Keycloak](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/keycloak). Vendors: [Keycloak](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/keycloak).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-18573 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-18573 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-18573?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.5, published 2 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Keycloak Keycloak.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-18573?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-18573 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-18573?** Check whether you run Keycloak. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a policy enforcement bypass in the keycloak-services component affecting client policy evaluation during client state updates. An attacker with client management permissions can circumvent realm administrator-configured client policies by exploiting improper validation during the transition from public to confidential client mode. The attack requires authenticated access (client management role) and proceeds by creating a public client and then updating it to confidential status with relaxed authentication settings. This allows persistence of clients that violate the realm's intended security hardening policies. A fix is expected to improve state validation during client updates.

## Affected products

- Keycloak Keycloak

## Timeline

- 2026-08-02: disclosed

## References

- [https://catalog.redhat.com/software/containers/](https://catalog.redhat.com/software/containers/)
- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)

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- [Keycloak server arbitrary code execution in client authorization](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-120984-a-flaw-was-found-in-the-keycloak-server-s-client-management)
- [Keycloak token sanitization bypass in protocol mapper](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97848-a-flaw-was-found-in-the-token-sanitization-logic-of-keycloak-an)
- [Keycloak Dynamic Client Registration privilege escalation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-96547-a-flaw-was-found-in-the-dynamic-client-registration-component-of)