CVE-2019-12399: Kafka Exposure Of Sensitive Information To Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6jmf-mxwf-r3jc
Share
CVSS 7.5
CWE-319
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-12399 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) exposure of sensitive information to vulnerability (CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) affecting Kafka libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor in apache kafka. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.0.2, 2.1.2, 2.2.2, 2.3.1.

CVE-2019-12399 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-12399
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6jmf-mxwf-r3jc
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information
Affected Product Kafka
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-12399

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.

org.apache.kafka:kafka fixed: 2.0.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>kafka</artifactId>
    <version>2.0.2</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.kafka:kafka fixed: 2.1.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>kafka</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.2</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.kafka:kafka fixed: 2.2.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>kafka</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.2</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.kafka:kafka fixed: 2.3.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>kafka</artifactId>
    <version>2.3.1</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.kafka

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2019-12399, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.kafka

Analyze 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 2.0.2), 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-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information, where the product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors. 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

When Connect workers in Apache Kafka 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.1.0, 2.1.1, 2.2.0, 2.2.1, or 2.3.0 are configured with one or more config providers, and a connector is created/updated on that Connect cluster to use an externalized secret variable in a substring of a connector configuration property value, then any client can issue a request to the same Connect cluster to obtain the connector's task configuration and the response will contain the plaintext secret rather than the externalized secrets variables.

CVE-2019-12399 Affected Kafka Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.0.22.1.22.2.22.3.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.kafka:kafka
maven/org.apache.kafka/kafka
Maven
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.0.2
2.0.2
org.apache.kafka:kafka
maven/org.apache.kafka/kafka
Maven
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.2
2.1.2
org.apache.kafka:kafka
maven/org.apache.kafka/kafka
Maven
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.2
2.2.2
org.apache.kafka:kafka
maven/org.apache.kafka/kafka
Maven
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.1
All 1 versions
2.3.0
2.3.1

References

NVD — CVE-2019-12399 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-12399
Kafka Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html
Kafka Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html
Kafka Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
Kafka Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-java-orga... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGAPACHEKAFKA-541854
lists.apache.org/thread.html/rfe90ca... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rfe90ca0463c199b99c2921410639aed53a172ea8b733eab0dc776262@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/rde947e... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rde947ee866de6687bc51cdc8dfa6d7e6b3ad4ce8c708c344f773e6dc@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/rda2531... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rda253155601968331b5cf0da4f273813bbd91843c2568a8495d1c662@%3Ccommits.kafka.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/rc27d42... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rc27d424d0bdeaf31081c3e246db3c66e882243ae3f342dfa845e0261@%3Ccommits.kafka.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9871a4... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9871a4215b621c1d09deee5eba97f0f44fde01b4363deb1bed0dd160@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r8890b8... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r8890b8f18f1de821595792b58b968a89692a255bc20d86d395270740@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r801c68... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r801c68bf987931f35d2e24ecc99f3aa2850fdd8f5ef15fe6c60fecf3@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6fa1cf... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6fa1cff4786dcef2ddd1d717836ef123c878e8321c24855bad24ae0f@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6af5ed... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6af5ed95726874e9add022955be83c192428c248d1c9a1914aff89d9@%3Cusers.kafka.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6af5ed... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6af5ed95726874e9add022955be83c192428c248d1c9a1914aff89d9@%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6af5ed... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6af5ed95726874e9add022955be83c192428c248d1c9a1914aff89d9%40%3Cdev.kafka.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r56eb05... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r56eb055b544931451283fee51f7e1f5b8ebd3085fed7d77aaba504c9@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r4d9e87... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r4d9e87cdae99e98d7b244cfa53d9d2532d368d3a187fbc87c493dcbe@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r4b20b4... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r4b20b40c40d4a4c641e2ef4228098a57935e5782bfdfdf3650e48265@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r47c225... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r47c225db363d1ee2c18c4b3b2f51b63a9789f78c7fa602e5976ecd05@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3203d7... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3203d7f25a6ca56ff3e48c43a6aa7cb60b8e5d57d0eed9f76dc2b7a8@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3154f5... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3154f5adbc905f1f9012a92240c8e00a96628470cc819453b9606d0e@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r2d390d... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r2d390dec5f360ec8aa294bef18e1a4385e2a3698d747209216f5a48b@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r0e3a61... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r0e3a613705d70950aca2bfe9a6265c87503921852d9a3dbce512ca9f@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
Kafka Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/01/14/1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-12399?
CVE-2019-12399 is a security vulnerability in Kafka involving Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in Apache Kafka under CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information.
Which Kafka versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.0.2, 2.1.2, 2.2.2, 2.3.1 across affected packages: org.apache.kafka:kafka.
What version fixes CVE-2019-12399?
Upgrading to 2.0.2, 2.1.2, 2.2.2, 2.3.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is kafka affected?
Yes, org.apache.kafka:kafka is affected in releases prior to 2.0.2, 2.1.2, 2.2.2, 2.3.1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.0.2, 2.1.2, 2.2.2, 2.3.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-12399?
CVE-2019-12399 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-12399?
CVE-2019-12399 is classified under CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information (The product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2019-12399?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.kafka'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-6jmf-mxwf-r3jc",
  "modified" : "2021-06-15T17:25:57Z",
  "published" : "2020-05-12T00:39:27Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-12399" ],
  "summary" : "Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in Apache Kafka",
  "details" : "When Connect workers in Apache Kafka 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.1.0, 2.1.1, 2.2.0, 2.2.1, or 2.3.0 are configured with one or more config providers, and a connector is created/updated on that Connect cluster to use an externalized secret variable in a substring of a connector configuration property value, then any client can issue a request to the same Connect cluster to obtain the connector's task configuration and the response will contain the plaintext secret rather than the externalized secrets variables.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.kafka:kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.0.2"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.0.1"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.kafka:kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
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    }
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    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.kafka:kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
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        "introduced" : "2.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.2"
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    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.2.1"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.kafka:kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.3.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "versions" : [ "2.3.0" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-12399"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGAPACHEKAFKA-541854"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rfe90ca0463c199b99c2921410639aed53a172ea8b733eab0dc776262@%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E"
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  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-319" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-05-11T20:29:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-01-14T15:15:00Z"
  }
}