CVE-2026-115644: Apache Kafka: Connect Admin REST API Authentication Bypass via Unapplied REST Extensions

Awaiting analysis
AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2026-115644
Published 28-10-2026Last modified 28-10-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-115644 is a vulnerability in apache software foundation apache kafka with no CVSS score yet. EPSS estimates a 0.26% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 17.5% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Insufficient evidence

No CVSS vector published; no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
Not scored
010
No CVSS score recorded
EPSS score
0.26%
0%100%
Low · Change unavailable
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Timeline

  1. 28-10-2026
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 28-10-2026
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

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".

CVSS metrics

Risk metrics not yet published.

EPSS trend

Probability

0.26%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

18%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

Change unavailable

Change unavailable

29-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

No weakness data has been published for this record.

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: not stated in public data.

Apache software foundation1 product
Ubuntu1 product
  • kafkaAll versions (No fix recorded)

2 vendors · 2 products

References

4 links