OAuth 2.0 Escalation Vulnerability in OpenStack's External Middleware
CVE-2026-22797

9.9CRITICAL

Key Information:

Vendor

Openstack
Status
Keystonemiddleware
Vendor
CVE Published:
19 January 2026

What is CVE-2026-22797?

An issue exists in OpenStack's external_oauth2_token middleware, allowing unauthorized users the ability to manipulate authentication headers. This vulnerability can lead to privilege escalation or impersonation of other users, as the middleware fails to properly sanitize incoming headers such as X-Is-Admin-Project, X-Roles, and X-User-Id. Affected versions include keystonemiddleware from 10.5 to 10.12, exposing deployments that utilize the external_oauth2_token middleware to significant security risks.

Affected Version(s)

keystonemiddleware 10.5.0 < 10.7.2

keystonemiddleware 10.8.0 < 10.9.1

keystonemiddleware 10.10.0 < 10.12.1

References

https://launchpad.net/bugs/2129018
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/16/9

CVSS V3.1

Score:
9.9
Severity:
CRITICAL
Confidentiality:
High
Integrity:
High
Availability:
High
Attack Vector:
Network
Attack Complexity:
Low
Privileges Required:
Low
User Interaction:
None
Scope:
Changed

Timeline

  • Vulnerability published

  • Vulnerability Reserved

.