CVE-2023-34040
Java Deserialization vulnerability in Spring-Kafka When Improperly Configured
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- vmware
Description
In Spring for Apache Kafka 3.0.9 and earlier and versions 2.9.10 and earlier, a possible deserialization attack vector existed, but only if unusual configuration was applied. An attacker would have to construct a malicious serialized object in one of the deserialization exception record headers. Specifically, an application is vulnerable when all of the following are true: * The user does not configure an ErrorHandlingDeserializer for the key and/or value of the record * The user explicitly sets container properties checkDeserExWhenKeyNull and/or checkDeserExWhenValueNull container properties to true. * The user allows untrusted sources to publish to a Kafka topic By default, these properties are false, and the container only attempts to deserialize the headers if an ErrorHandlingDeserializer is configured. The ErrorHandlingDeserializer prevents the vulnerability by removing any such malicious headers before processing the record.
Timeline
ID reserved
By vmware
- 3 months later
· 3 months later
Published
- 13 months later
· 13 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| vmwareCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Medium5.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 2.1% · top 18% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.3.
Weakness
Affected products
Spring · Spring For Apache Kafka
- affected 2.8.x – < 2.9.11
- affected 2.9.x – < 2.9.11
- affected 3.0.x – < 3.0.10
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Mavenorg.springframework.kafka:spring-kafkaGHSA-crqf-q9fp-hwjw (opens in a new tab)
References (1)
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-crqf-q9fp-hwjw (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2023-34040)Record last updated .