Auth bypass in Linuxfoundation Strimzi Kafka Operator

CVE-2026-27134

Strimzi provides a way to run an Apache Kafka cluster on Kubernetes or OpenShift in various deployment configurations. In versions 0.49.0 through 0.50.0, when using a custom Cluster or Clients CA with a multistage CA chain consisting of multiple CAs, Strimzi incorrectly configures the trusted certificates for mTLS authentication on the internal as well as user-configured listeners. All CAs from the CA chain will be trusted. And users with certificates signed by any of the CAs in the chain will be able to authenticate. This issue affects only users using a custom Cluster or Clients CA with a multistage CA chain consisting of multiple CAs. It does not affect users using the Strimzi-managed Cluster and Clients CAs. It also does not affect users using custom Cluster or Clients CA with only a single CA (i.e., no CA chain with multiple CAs). This issue has been fixed in version 0.50.1. To workaround this issue, instead of providing the full CA chain as the custom CA, users can provide only the single CA that should be used.

Vulnerability class: Broken Authentication

EPSS: 0.004 (29.6th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.1 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-27134?
CVE-2026-27134 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linuxfoundation Strimzi Kafka Operator, classified under Improper Authentication. CVSS score: 8.1/10. Published 2026-02-21.
How severe is CVE-2026-27134?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.1 out of 10.