A vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-46647 has been discovered in the OpenID Connect plugin of Apache APISIX, an open-source API gateway widely used for managing microservices and API traffic.
The flaw, rated as “important” by security experts, could allow attackers to bypass authentication controls and gain unauthorized access to protected resources across multiple identity issuers, posing a substantial risk to organizations using affected configurations.
How the Vulnerability Works
The issue arises specifically when the OpenID Connect plugin is configured in introspection mode and the connected authentication service supports multiple issuers that share the same private key.
In such a setup, the plugin relies solely on the issuer identifier to distinguish between authentication contexts.
If the issuer validation is not properly enforced, an attacker with valid credentials from one issuer can exploit the flaw to access services or data intended for another issuer.
This vulnerability is rooted in improper validation of the issuer information retrieved via the introspection discovery URL.
Because the system assumes the private key is unique per issuer, sharing the same key across issuers allows a malicious user to reuse their token and impersonate identities across logical domains.
The risk is particularly acute in multi-tenant enterprise environments or federated cloud architectures where identity providers are shared.
Impact, Mitigation, and Recommendations
All Apache APISIX versions before 3.12.0 are affected by this vulnerability.
If exploited, it could lead to data breaches, unauthorized transactions, or lateral movement within enterprise networks, especially in sectors with strict regulatory requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government.
To mitigate the risk, the Apache APISIX team has released version 3.12.0, which addresses the flaw. Users are strongly advised to:
- Upgrade to Apache APISIX 3.12.0 or later immediately.
- Review OpenID Connect plugin configurations to ensure that each issuer uses a unique private key.
- Audit authentication services for proper issuer segregation and robust token validation logic.
- Monitor authentication logs for suspicious cross-issuer login attempts and consider implementing multi-factor authentication for added security.
No public exploits have been reported as of the publication date, but organizations are urged to act swiftly to prevent potential attacks as knowledge of the vulnerability spreads.
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