# CVE-2026-33551: OpenStack Keystone authorization bypass in EC2 credential creation

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-33551-openstack-keystone-authorization-bypass-in-ec2-credential  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-04-10. Updated: 2026-06-09  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-33551 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.5 · Published 2026-04-10

OpenStack Keystone, the identity service for OpenStack cloud environments, contains a flaw where restricted user credentials can be used to generate more powerful access keys. An attacker with limited, read-only access could exploit this to obtain full administrative control over object storage (S3/Swift) buckets. This bypasses security restrictions intended to limit what specific applications or users can do, potentially leading to unauthorized data modification or deletion.

Technologies: [keystone (PyPI)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/keystone). Vendors: [PyPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-33551 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-33551 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-33551?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.5, published 10 April 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** keystone (PyPI) >= 14.0.0, < 26.1.1, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=14.0.0,fixed=26.1.1.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-33551?** Yes. keystone (PyPI): upgrade to 26.1.1 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-33551 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-33551?** Check whether you run keystone (PyPI) at an affected version. 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.

## How to fix

- keystone (PyPI): upgrade to 26.1.1 or later

  ```sh
  pip install "keystone>=26.1.1"
  ```


## Technical details

An incorrect authorization vulnerability (CWE-863) exists in Keystone's EC2 credential creation endpoint (POST /v3/users/{user_id}/credentials/OS-EC2). The endpoint fails to enforce application credential restrictions, allowing an authenticated user with a restricted 'reader' role to generate EC2/S3 credentials. These newly created credentials inherit the full permissions of the parent user rather than the restricted scope of the application credential. This exploit is specifically applicable to deployments using the EC2/S3 compatibility APIs (s3api/swift3). Patches have been released for multiple OpenStack release branches including Caracal, Dalmatian, and others.

## Affected products

- OpenStack Keystone >= 14.0.0, < 26.1.1; 27.0.0; 28.0.0; 29.0.0

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-33551
- GHSA-4phw-6824-6cfp
- PYSEC-2026-202

## Timeline

- 2026-02-18: disclosed: Vulnerability reported to OpenStack Security Team
- 2026-04-07: advisory: OpenStack Security Advisory OSSA-2026-005 published
- 2026-04-10: advisory: CVE-2026-33551 published to NVD

## References

- [https://bugs.launchpad.net/keystone/+bug/2142138](https://bugs.launchpad.net/keystone/+bug/2142138)
- [https://security.openstack.org/ossa/OSSA-2026-005.html](https://security.openstack.org/ossa/OSSA-2026-005.html)
- [http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/04/07/12](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/04/07/12)
- [https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/keystone/PYSEC-2026-202.yaml](https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/keystone/PYSEC-2026-202.yaml)

## Related threats

- [PYSEC-2026-2549 - OpenStack Identity Keystone and keystonemiddleware Insufficiently Protected Credentials](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2015-7546-openstack-identity-keystone-and-keystonemiddleware-insufficiently)
- [PYSEC-2026-830 - OpenStack Keystone allows information disclosure during account locking](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2021-38155-openstack-keystone-allows-information-disclosure-during-account)
- [PYSEC-2026-831 - OpenStack Identity Keystone Privilege Escalation vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2013-4477-openstack-identity-keystone-privilege-escalation-vulnerability)
- [PYSEC-2026-833 - OpenStack Keystone does not invalidate existing tokens when granting or revoking roles](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2012-4413-openstack-keystone-does-not-invalidate-existing-tokens-when)
- [PYSEC-2026-832 - OpenStack Keystone Improper Authentication vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2012-4456-openstack-keystone-improper-authentication-vulnerability)