CVE-2023-46249: authentik potential installation takeover when default admin user is deleted
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2023-46249 is a critical (CVSS 9.8) Improper Authentication vulnerability in goauthentik authentik. EPSS estimates a 0.80% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 56.4% of scored vulnerabilities.
Severe, CVSS 9.7 (CVE.org); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources; EPSS 1% (FIRST, 03-11-2026)
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Timeline
- 31-10-2023PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 05-09-2024Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
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.
CVSS metrics
2 scores · 2 sources · 1 version- CVE.orgCNA9.7CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HDiffers
EPSS trend
Probability
0.80%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
56%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
Increase +0.14 pp
From 0.65% on 04-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEVNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
ENISA CNWNot in the ENISA CNW catalog.
CIRCLNot in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root cause- CWE-287Improper AuthenticationWhen an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
- CWE-306Missing Authentication for Critical FunctionalityThe product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.
Affected systems
Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
Goauthentik1 product
- authentik< 2023.8.4 | ≥ 2023.10.0, < 2023.10.2
1 vendor · 1 product
References
5 links- github.com/goauthentik/authentik/security/advisories/GHSA-rjvp-29xq-f62wX Refsource CONFIRMVendor Advisory
- github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/261879022d25016d58867cf1f24e90b81ad618d0X Refsource MISCPatch
- github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/ea75741ec22ecef34bc7073f1163e17a8a2bf9fcX Refsource MISCPatch