8.8 CVE-2025-27818

 

A possible security vulnerability has been identified in Apache Kafka. This requires access to a alterConfig to the cluster resource, or Kafka Connect worker, and the ability to create/modify connectors on it with an arbitrary Kafka client SASL JAAS config and a SASL-based security protocol, which has been possible on Kafka clusters since Apache Kafka 2.0.0 (Kafka Connect 2.3.0). When configuring the broker via config file or AlterConfig command, or connector via the Kafka Kafka Connect REST API, an authenticated operator can set the `sasl.jaas.config` property for any of the connector's Kafka clients to "com.sun.security.auth.module.LdapLoginModule", which can be done via the `producer.override.sasl.jaas.config`, `consumer.override.sasl.jaas.config`, or `admin.override.sasl.jaas.config` properties. This will allow the server to connect to the attacker's LDAP server and deserialize the LDAP response, which the attacker can use to execute java deserialization gadget chains on the Kafka connect server. Attacker can cause unrestricted deserialization of untrusted data (or) RCE vulnerability when there are gadgets in the classpath. Since Apache Kafka 3.0.0, users are allowed to specify these properties in connector configurations for Kafka Connect clusters running with out-of-the-box configurations. Before Apache Kafka 3.0.0, users may not specify these properties unless the Kafka Connect cluster has been reconfigured with a connector client override policy that permits them. Since Apache Kafka 3.9.1/4.0.0, we have added a system property ("-Dorg.apache.kafka.disallowed.login.modules") to disable the problematic login modules usage in SASL JAAS configuration. Also by default "com.sun.security.auth.module.JndiLoginModule,com.sun.security.auth.module.LdapLoginModule" are disabled in Apache Kafka Connect 3.9.1/4.0.0. We advise the Kafka users to validate connector configurations and only allow trusted LDAP configurations. Also examine connector dependencies for vulnerable versions and either upgrade their connectors, upgrading that specific dependency, or removing the connectors as options for remediation. Finally, in addition to leveraging the "org.apache.kafka.disallowed.login.modules" system property, Kafka Connect users can also implement their own connector client config override policy, which can be used to control which Kafka client properties can be overridden directly in a connector config and which cannot.
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-27818

Categories

CWE-502 : Deserialization of Untrusted Data
The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid. Marshaling and unmarshaling are effectively synonyms for serialization and deserialization, respectively. In Python, the "pickle" functionality is used to perform serialization and deserialization. Some PHP application researchers use this term when attacking unsafe use of the unserialize() function; but it is also used for CWE-915. Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.) If available, use the signing/sealing features of the programming language to assure that deserialized data has not been tainted. For example, a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) could be used to ensure that data has not been modified. When deserializing data, populate a new object rather than just deserializing. The result is that the data flows through safe input validation and that the functions are safe. Explicitly define a final object() to prevent deserialization. Avoid having unnecessary types or gadgets (a sequence of instances and method invocations that can self-execute during the deserialization process, often found in libraries) available that can be leveraged for malicious ends. This limits the potential for unintended or unauthorized types and gadgets to be leveraged by the attacker. Add only acceptable classes to an allowlist. Note: new gadgets are constantly being discovered, so this alone is not a sufficient mitigation. Employ cryptography of the data or code for protection. However, it's important to note that it would still be client-side security. This is risky because if the client is compromised then the security implemented on the client (the cryptography) can be bypassed. chain: bypass of untrusted deserialization issue (CWE-502) by using an assumed-trusted class (CWE-183) Deserialization issue in commonly-used Java library allows remote execution. Deserialization issue in commonly-used Java library allows remote execution. Use of PHP unserialize function on untrusted input allows attacker to modify application configuration. Use of PHP unserialize function on untrusted input in content management system might allow code execution. Use of PHP unserialize function on untrusted input in content management system allows code execution using a crafted cookie value. Content management system written in PHP allows unserialize of arbitrary objects, possibly allowing code execution. Python script allows local users to execute code via pickled data. Unsafe deserialization using pickle in a Python script. Web browser allows execution of native methods via a crafted string to a JavaScript function that deserializes the string.

References


 

CPE

cpe start end

REMEDIATION


EXPLOITS

Exploit-db.com

id description date
No known exploits

POC Github

Url
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Other Nist (github, ...)

Url
No known exploits

CAPEC

Common Attack Pattern Enumerations and Classifications

id description severity
586 Object Injection
High