CVE-2026-82434: apache software foundation apache storm client Insufficiently Protected Credentials

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-82434 is a critical (CVSS 10.0) Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability in apache software foundation apache storm client. EPSS estimates a 0.50% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 41.5% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 14-09-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 14-09-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Description When ZooKeeper authentication is configured, Storm deliberately retains `storm.zookeeper.topology.auth.payload` in the topology configuration, because workers need it. Nimbus then served that configuration verbatim to any caller holding read-only topology permissions, so a user whose only grant was the ability to view a topology received its ZooKeeper credential. That credential is not read-only. The cluster state implementation uses write-capable ACLs for worker heartbeats, backpressure and error state, so a recipient can forge or remove that state for the topology concerned. It is not a write credential on assignments. The same advisory covers the submission client, which logged the generated payload at INFO on every submission that generated one, and the SASL handlers, which logged it at DEBUG. The credential therefore also reached any log aggregation or support bundle collected from the cluster. Mitigation Upgrade to 3.1.0, where the payload is removed from the configuration served to read-only callers and is no longer written to logs. Users who cannot upgrade immediately should rotate `storm.zookeeper.topology.auth.payload` for existing topologies, review retained logs and support bundles for the value, and restrict read-only topology permissions to trusted principals. Credit The ASF -- found using Claude agents to study the security of open-source projects, validated and reported by Apache Storm.

• CWE-522Insufficiently Protected CredentialsThe product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.
• CWE-532Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log FileThe product writes sensitive information to a log file.