GHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4 — spring-kafka
HIGHGHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka. A fix is available for org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka — see the affected versions and patch details below.
In Spring for Apache Kafka, overly broad trusted-package matching in header mappers exposes JDK classes to deserialization
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 379,842 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka☕org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka☕org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka☕org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka☕org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafkaReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
JsonKafkaHeaderMapper and the deprecated DefaultKafkaHeaderMapper matched type headers against trusted packages using a prefix check, meaning that trusting any package implicitly trusted all of its subpackages. Combined with Jackson's default bean deserialization, a producer could supply crafted header values that caused the consumer to deserialize arbitrary JDK types.
Affected versions: Spring for Apache Kafka 4.0.0 through 4.0.5; 3.3.0 through 3.3.15; 3.2.0 through 3.2.13; 2.9.0 through 2.9.13; 2.8.0 through 2.8.11.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka | ≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.0.6 | 4.0.6org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka:4.0.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka | ≥ 3.3.0&&< 3.3.16 | 3.3.16org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka:3.3.16 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka | ≥ 3.2.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka | ≥ 2.9.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka | all versions | No fix |
Affected Products
fuseredhatjboss enterprise application platform expansion packredhatspring for apache kafkavmwareDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka to 4.0.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Do not deserialise data from untrusted sources: where the format allows it, restrict deserialisation to an explicit allowlist of expected types, and prefer a data-only format (JSON, Protobuf) over one that can reconstruct arbitrary objects until you can upgrade.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.Source: Red Hat security advisory for GHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.