Vulnerability · Published Jun 2, 2026 · Assigned by apache
CVE-2026-41115Apache Kafka: Improper Authorization in CONSUMER_GROUP_DESCRIBE API
Medium 4.3
In plain English
A medium-severity security flaw in Apache Kafka from Apache Software Foundation. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.3% (higher than 21% of all known vulnerabilities).
Official description
An improper authorization vulnerability has been identified in Apache Kafka. The implementation of the CONSUMER_GROUP_DESCRIBE (69) API validates the DESCRIBE operation on the GROUP resource instead of the READ operation that documented in the official kafka documentation and the KIP-848. This discrepancy can result in misconfigured Access Control Lists (ACLs) and unintended security postures, like granting READ permission to users who should not be able to join/sync groups, or allowing users without READ permission (but with DESCRIBE permission) to access sensitive group metadata. The correct permission for CONSUMER_GROUP_DESCRIBE API is DESCRIBE GROUP so the current implementation is correct. However, the kafka documentation as well as the KIP-848 will be updated to reflect the correct permission. We advise the Kafka users to review existing group ACLs to ensure the principle of least privilege.
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Software Foundation | Apache Kafka | 4.0.0 – through 4.3.0 |
Weakness: CWE-285 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N