CVE-2023-34040
5.3 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2023-34040 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting vmware spring_for_apache_kafka. It was published on August 24, 2023 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical 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.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from vmware. Update spring_for_apache_kafka to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| vmware | spring_for_apache_kafka | 2.8.1 | Affected |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-34040?
CVE-2023-34040 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting vmware spring_for_apache_kafka. It was published on August 24, 2023 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2023-34040?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2023-34040?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from vmware. Update spring_for_apache_kafka to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2023-34040?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2023-34040 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
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