# CVE-2026-97175: Keycloak idp-auto-link authenticator account takeover

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97175-a-flaw-was-found-in-the-idp-auto-link-authenticator-of-the  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-11-05. Updated: 2026-11-05  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-97175 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.8 · Published 2026-11-05

Keycloak's identity federation system automatically links external login accounts to local accounts based on email address without verifying the external provider actually validated that email. An attacker with an account at a federated identity provider can take over any victim's Keycloak account by registering an unverified email matching the victim's, gaining full access including the ability to change passwords and emails.

Technologies: [Red Hat Keycloak](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/red-hat-keycloak). Vendors: [Red Hat](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/red-hat).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-97175 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-97175 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-97175?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 5 November 2026.

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

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-97175?** 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-2026-97175 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-97175?** Check whether you run Red Hat 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 idp-auto-link authenticator in keycloak-services fails to check the email_verified claim before linking a federated identity to an existing local account (CWE-287: Improper Authentication). An attacker with Low privileges (an account at a brokered identity provider) can exploit this over the network without user interaction to achieve account takeover, gaining full read/write access to the victim's account.

## Affected products

- Red Hat Keycloak

## Timeline

- 2026-11-05: disclosed

## References

- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97175](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97175)

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- [Keycloak privilege escalation via client authentication manipulation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-9797-a-flaw-was-found-in-keycloak-s-administrative-services-org)
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- [Keycloak SAML broker ProxyRestriction bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-92856-a-flaw-was-found-in-the-saml-brokering-component-of-keycloak-an)