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Fencer Vulns
medium 4.3

CVE-2026-41115 json

Apache Kafka: Improper Authorization in CONSUMER_GROUP_DESCRIBE API

published 2026-06-02 5 mo ago modified 2026-09-08 2 mo ago also BIT-kafka-2026-41115 , EUVD-2026-33904

cvss
4.3
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.3%
EPSS 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 21%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

An improper authorization vulnerability has been identified in Apache Kafka.

The implementation of the CONSUMER_GROUP_DESCRIBE (69) API validates the DESCRIBE operation on the GROUP resource instead of the READ operation that documented in the official kafka documentation and the KIP-848. This discrepancy can result in misconfigured Access Control Lists (ACLs) and unintended security postures, like granting READ permission to users who should not be able to join/sync groups, or allowing users without READ permission (but with DESCRIBE permission) to access sensitive group metadata.

The correct permission for CONSUMER_GROUP_DESCRIBE API is DESCRIBE GROUP so the current implementation is correct. However, the kafka documentation as well as the KIP-848 will be updated to reflect the correct permission. We advise the Kafka users to review existing group ACLs to ensure the principle of least privilege.

Patch / fix

  • bitnami kafka 4.3.1

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-2026-41115 updated cvss 6.5

org.apache.kafka: Apache Kafka: Information disclosure due to improper authorization in CONSUMER_GROUP_DESCRIBE API

  • Red Hat build of Apache Camel 4 for Quarkus 3 kafka-clients Red Hat build of Debezium 3 connect-api, connect-json, kafka-clients, connect-runtime, connect-transforms Red Hat build of Quarkus kafka-clients, kafka-streams Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform Expansion Pack kafka_2.13, kafka-raft, kafka-server, kafka-storage, kafka-metadata, kafka-tools-api, +3 more
    affected: no fix available “Fix deferred”
  • Red Hat OpenShift Serverless openshift-serverless-1/kn-ekb-receiver-rhel9, openshift-serverless-1/kn-ekb-dispatcher-rhel9 Red Hat build of Apache Camel for Spring Boot 4 kafka-clients Red Hat build of Apicurio Registry 3 connect-api, connect-json, kafka-clients Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 8 kafka-clients Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform Expansion Pack kafka, connect, trogdor, generator, kafka_2.12, connect-api, +46 more
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

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
partial
Assessed
5 mo ago

Exploit prediction

0.29% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 21% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CISA ADP 3.1 4.3 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
CNA 3.1 4.3 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
OSV 3.1 4.3 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Affected packages

ecosystem package affected fixed in
bitnami kafka
>=4.0.0, <4.3.1
4.3.1

Affected products

  • Apache Software Foundation Apache Kafka

Classification

Weakness

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.