CVE-2023-39522: goauthentik is an open-source Identity Provider. In affected versions using a recovery flow with an identification stage an attacker is able to determ...

Description

goauthentik is an open-source Identity Provider. In affected versions using a recovery flow with an identification stage an attacker is able to determine if a username exists. Only setups configured with a recovery flow are impacted by this. Anyone with a user account on a system with the recovery flow described above is susceptible to having their username/email revealed as existing. An attacker can easily enumerate and check users' existence using the recovery flow, as a clear message is shown when a user doesn't exist. Depending on configuration this can either be done by username, email, or both. This issue has been addressed in versions 2023.5.6 and 2023.6.2. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.3/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

EPSS Probability

0.51%

39.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-203

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Goauthentik	Authentik	< 2023.5.6
Goauthentik	Authentik	>= 2023.6.0, < 2023.6.2

References

Timeline

Published: Aug 29, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-39522?

goauthentik is an open-source Identity Provider. In affected versions using a recovery flow with an identification stage an attacker is able to determine if a username exists. Only setups configured with a recovery flow are impacted by this. Anyone with a user account on a system with the recovery flow described above is susceptible to having their username/email revealed as existing. An attacker can easily enumerate and check users' existence using the recovery flow, as a clear message is shown when a user doesn't exist. Depending on configuration this can either be done by username, email, or both. This issue has been addressed in versions 2023.5.6 and 2023.6.2. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

How severe is CVE-2023-39522?

CVE-2023-39522 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.51% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-39522?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.