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Critical

authentik potential installation takeover when default admin user is deleted

Type: advisorySources: OSV

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.

Products
Not specified
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2023-46249
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
6 Nov 2026, 01:59 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

authentik potential installation takeover when default admin user is deleted

core-osv · Original source

Published 31 Oct 2023, 15:20 UTC

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.

osv:CVE-2023-46249
Complete source record
{
  "id": "0027bae5b00e4438cf19b9f383eef853bcf20c2d29e6b87c1d190fa95d9dd54e",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-46249",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "authentik potential installation takeover when default admin user is deleted",
    "summary": "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.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2023-46249",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "critical",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2023-46249",
      "aliases": [
        "BIT-authentik-2023-46249",
        "CVE-2023-46249",
        "GHSA-rjvp-29xq-f62w"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "72d67f65e5070f14aacb01fab9376cfc4534c446"
                },
                {
                  "introduced": "ed46fd629efd4307040c494faaec544a5cb7b3ee"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "8e72fcab59a65e900a35a0faa21fe0bfef4c63c3"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "261879022d25016d58867cf1f24e90b81ad618d0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "ea75741ec22ecef34bc7073f1163e17a8a2bf9fc"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:goauthentik:authentik:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "2023.8.4"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:goauthentik:authentik:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "2023.10.0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "2023.10.2"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "261879022d25016d58867cf1f24e90b81ad618d0"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "ea75741ec22ecef34bc7073f1163e17a8a2bf9fc"
                      }
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                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
                  }
                ]
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          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-46249.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:46.293007575Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/releases/tag/version%2F2023.10.2",
        "https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/releases/tag/version%2F2023.8.4",
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/46xxx/CVE-2023-46249.json",
        "https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/security/advisories/GHSA-rjvp-29xq-f62w",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46249",
        "https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/261879022d25016d58867cf1f24e90b81ad618d0",
        "https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/ea75741ec22ecef34bc7073f1163e17a8a2bf9fc"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cwe_ids": [
          "CWE-287"
        ],
        "cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/46xxx/CVE-2023-46249.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2023-46249",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 514076,
  "published_at": "2023-10-31T15:20:35.166+00:00"
}