Zitadel RefreshToken invalidation vulnerability

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2023-22492: 0.63% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 50.10 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact RefreshTokens is an OAuth 2.0 feature that allows applications to retrieve new access tokens and refresh the user's session without the need for interacting with a UI. RefreshTokens were not invalidated when a user was locked or deactivated. The deactivated or locked user was able to obtain a valid access token only through a refresh token grant. When the locked or deactivated user’s session was already terminated (“logged out”) then it was not possible to create a new session. Renewal of access token through a refresh token grant is limited to the configured amount of time (RefreshTokenExpiration). Patches 2.x versions are fixed on = 2.17.3 2.16.x versions are fixed on = 2.16.4 ZITADEL recommends upgrading to the latest versions available in due course. Workarounds Ensure the RefreshTokenExpiration in the OIDC settings of your instance is set according to your security requirements. References…

Published by the source

11 Jan 2023, 18:27 UTC

Last modified by the source

24 Jan 2023, 18:55 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 14:54 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-6rrr-78xp-5jp8

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2023-22492

Advisory: Zitadel RefreshToken invalidation vulnerability
IDs: CVE-2023-22492, GHSA-6rrr-78xp-5jp8
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2023-22492 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 14:54 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.9)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: github.com/zitadel/zitadel 2.17.3, 2.16.4. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/zitadel/zitadel: affected >= 2.17.0, < 2.17.3; >= 2.0.0, < 2.16.4; fixed in 2.16.4, 2.17.3

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/zitadel/zitadel: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on github.com/zitadel/zitadel.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-6rrr-78xp-5jp8 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-6rrr-78xp-5jp8 lists affected ranges: Go github.com/zitadel/zitadel >=2.17.0 =2.0.0 <2.16.4)

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