CVE-2026-33557
A possible security vulnerability has been identified in Apache Kafka.
By default, the broker property `sasl.oauthbearer.jwt.validator.class` is set to `org.apache.kafka.common.security.oauthbearer.DefaultJwtValidator`. It accepts any JWT token without validating its signature, issuer, or audience. An attacker can generate a JWT token from any issuer with the `preferred_username` set to any user, and the broker will accept it.
We advise the Kafka users using kafka v4.1.0 or v4.1.1 to set the config `sasl.oauthbearer.jwt.validator.class` to `org.apache.kafka.common.security.oauthbearer.BrokerJwtValidator` explicitly to avoid this vulnerability. Since Kafka v4.1.2 and v4.2.0 and later, the issue is fixed and will correctly validate the JWT token.
Attack Parameters
Technical Impact
Time Line
Key Metrics
Recommended Solution
Immediate Action Plan
1. Inventory
Identify all affected systems in your infrastructure.
2. Assessment
Assess exposure and criticality for your organization.
3. Mitigation
Apply patches or available workarounds.
4. Verification
Test and confirm effectiveness of applied measures.
⚠️ MAXIMUM PRIORITY - Immediate action required