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Authentik Default Admin User Password Can Be Changed by Attackers
BIT-authentik-2023-46249
CVE-2023-46249
GHSA-rjvp-29xq-f62w
Summary
If the default admin user in Authentik is deleted, an attacker can change the admin password without a password. To fix this, ensure the default admin user 'akadmin' exists and has a strong, secure password. Consider deactivating the user to prevent unauthorized logins.
What to do
- Update authentik to version 2023.10.2.
Affected software
| Ecosystem | Vendor | Product | Affected versions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitnami | – | authentik |
>= 2023.10.0, < 2023.10.2 Fix: upgrade to 2023.10.2
|
Original title
authentik potential installation takeover when default admin user is deleted
Original description
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.
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/261879022d25016d58867cf1f24e90b8... URL
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/ea75741ec22ecef34bc7073f1163e17a... URL
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/releases/tag/version%2F2023.10.2 URL
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/releases/tag/version%2F2023.8.4 URL
- https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/security/advisories/GHSA-rjvp-29xq-f62w URL
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46249 URL
Published: 16 Apr 2026 · Updated: 17 Apr 2026 · First seen: 17 Apr 2026