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Response snapshot Nov 5, 2026, 23:11 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-115644

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...

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.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
8.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.3% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-115644 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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:

Continue reading

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".

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

8.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.3%

Scored Percentile 17.6%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-115644 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-115644, scored 2026-11-05. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, November 5). 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... (CVE-2026-115644). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-115644

MLA

"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... (CVE-2026-115644)." KEVWire, 5 Nov. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-115644.

Chicago

KEVWire. "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... (CVE-2026-115644)." Last modified November 5, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-115644.

Evidence summary (plain text)

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... (Oct 28, 2026).
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.
CVSS 8.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Nov 5, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-115644).
EPSS 0.3% for the following 30 days, scored Nov 5, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-115644&date=2026-11-05).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-115644: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-115644
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-05T18:10:58.021Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-05T19:40:56.014Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-05T17:41:02.410Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-05T19:10:56.278Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-05T17:06:18.295Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-05T18:40:58.469Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-115644&date=2026-11-05
Record ID: CVE-2026-115644.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Nov 5, 2026, 19:11 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Awaiting Analysis. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

Record detail