CVE-2018-17196: Kafka Improper Input Validation Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2018-17196 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) improper input validation vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Kafka libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper input validation in apache kafka. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.1.
CVE-2018-17196 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 8.8
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2018-17196
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Kafka dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.kafka</groupId>
<artifactId>kafka</artifactId>
<version>2.1.1</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.kafkaHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-17196, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.kafkaAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Kafka in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.1), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.kafka command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. In Kafka, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
CVE-2018-17196 Affected Kafka Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
org.apache.kafka:kafka
|
Maven |
≥ 0.11.0.0
< 2.1.1
|
2.1.1
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2018-17196?
Which Kafka versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2018-17196?
Is kafka affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-17196?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-17196?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-17196?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-47w3-66wq-cpxg",
"modified" : "2022-06-29T19:04:07Z",
"published" : "2022-05-24T16:50:01Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-17196" ],
"summary" : "Improper Input Validation in Apache Kafka",
"details" : "In Apache Kafka versions between 0.11.0.0 and 2.1.0, it is possible to manually craft a Produce request which bypasses transaction/idempotent ACL validation. Only authenticated clients with Write permission on the respective topics are able to exploit this vulnerability. Users should upgrade to 2.1.1 or later where this vulnerability has been fixed.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.apache.kafka:kafka"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.11.0.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2.1.1"
} ]
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.1.0"
}
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-17196"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/519eb0fd45642dcecd9ff74cb3e71c20a4753f7d82e2f07864b5108f@%3Cdev.drill.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b0656d359c7d40ec9f39c8cc61bca66802ef9a2a12ee199f5b0c1442@%3Cdev.drill.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/d1581fb6464c9bec8a72575c01f5097d68e2fbb230aff24622622a58@%3Ccommits.kafka.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/f9bc3e55f4e28d1dcd1a69aae6d53e609a758e34d2869b4d798e13cc@%3Cissues.drill.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r8890b8f18f1de821595792b58b968a89692a255bc20d86d395270740@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rc27d424d0bdeaf31081c3e246db3c66e882243ae3f342dfa845e0261@%3Ccommits.kafka.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.mail-archive.com/dev@kafka.apache.org/msg99277.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2020.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/109139"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-29T19:04:07Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2019-07-11T21:15:00Z"
}
}