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Fencer Vulns
high 8.8

CVE-2026-115644 json

Apache Kafka: Connect Admin REST API Authentication Bypass via Unapplied REST Extensions

published 2026-10-28 11 d ago modified 2026-11-05 3 d ago also EUVD-2026-112173

cvss
8.8
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.5%
EPSS 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 44%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

Apache Kafka Connect contains an authentication bypass vulnerability affecting the admin REST API when admin.listeners is configured with a separate listener from the main listeners property.

When operators isolate the admin REST API by explicitly configuring the "admin.listeners" property, REST extensions specified via rest.extension.classes (such as BasicAuthSecurityRestExtension) are not registered or applied to the admin resource configuration.

While the primary REST API listener (configured via listeners) enforces configured authentication and authorization filters, endpoints mounted under the separate admin listener (/admin/loggers) fail to inherit or instantiate these extension filters. As a result, the admin logger endpoint accepts unauthenticated read and write requests even when security extensions are active on the main listener.

Impact:

An unauthenticated attacker with network access to the admin listener can:

1. Read the complete set of logger names and levels, disclosing loaded class names and which security extensions are in use. 2. Write logger levels, including with scope=cluster which propagates the change to all workers in the Connect cluster. This can be used to suppress logging (setting root to OFF) or generate excessive log output (setting root to TRACE), potentially impacting availability and observability.

Mitigation:

Users who cannot upgrade immediately can remove the admin.listeners configuration (or leave it unset). When unset, admin resources share the regular listener and inherit its security extensions.

Resolution:

From Apache Kafka 4.2.2, 4.3.2, and 4.4.0, we make sure the REST extensions specified via "rest.extension.classes" will also apply to "admin.listeners".

Patch / fix

  • Apache Software Foundation Apache Kafka 4.2.2, 4.3.2

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2026-115644 updated cvss 5.6

org.apache.kafka/connect-runtime: Apache Kafka Connect: Authentication bypass via separate admin listener

  • Red Hat build of Debezium 3 connect-runtime 4.2.1.redhat-00004
    affected: workaround, no fix available “Fix deferred”
  • Red Hat Fuse 7 connect-runtime 4.2.1.redhat-00004
    affected: workaround, no fix planned “Out of support scope”
  • Red Hat streams for Apache Kafka 3 connect-runtime 4.2.1.redhat-00004
    affected: workaround, no fix available “Fix deferred”

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
3 d ago

Exploit prediction

0.52% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 44% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CISA ADP 3.1 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA 3.1 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

  • Apache Software Foundation Apache Kafka

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-288 Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

CPEs and fixed versions use Anchore's correction of NVD's data: Added CPE configurations because not yet analyzed by NVD.