CVE-2023-34040
Java Deserialization vulnerability in Spring-Kafka When Improperly Configured
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.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.3
Java Deserialization vulnerability in Spring-Kafka When Improperly Configured
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-34040- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-2275
5.3
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.
- Record
EUVD-2023-2275- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-crqf-q9fp-hwjw
7.8
Spring-Kafka has Java Deserialization vulnerability When Improperly Configured
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.
- Record
GHSA-crqf-q9fp-hwjw- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
5.3
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-34040- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
5.3
Java Deserialization vulnerability in Spring-Kafka When Improperly Configured
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-34040- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-crqf-q9fp-hwjw
7.8
Spring-Kafka has Java Deserialization vulnerability When Improperly Configured
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.
- Record
GHSA-crqf-q9fp-hwjw- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafkaMaven |
3.0.0 up to 3.0.10 | 3.0.10 |
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafkaMaven |
2.8.1 up to 2.9.11 | 2.9.11 |
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafkaMaven |
2.8.1 up to 2.9.11, plus listed versions 2.8.102.8.112.8.22.8.32.8.4 Show 16 moreShow less2.8.52.8.62.8.72.8.82.8.92.9.02.9.12.9.102.9.22.9.32.9.42.9.52.9.62.9.72.9.82.9.9 |
2.9.11 |
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafkaMaven |
3.0.0 up to 3.0.10, plus listed versions 3.0.13.0.23.0.33.0.43.0.5 Show 4 moreShow less3.0.63.0.73.0.83.0.9 |
3.0.10 |
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| PoC in GitHub | Contrast-Security-OSS/Spring-Kafka-POC-CVE-2023-34040 | 2023-08-30 |
| PoC in GitHub | buiduchoang24/CVE-2023-34040 | 2024-04-24 |
| PoC in GitHub | huyennhat-dev/cve-2023-34040 | 2024-05-27 |
| PoC in GitHub | pyn3rd/CVE-2023-34040 | 2023-09-28 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV, PoC in GitHub |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-34040 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Spring For Apache Kafka, published August 24, 2023. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.09%, the 81st percentile. Fixed in org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka 3.0.10.
References
spring.io/security/cve-2023-34040
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-34040
github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka/commit/25ac793a78725e2ca4a3a2888a1506a4bfcf0c9d
github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka/commit/eb779679812f61a8553ced3d0e4069dca65560ed
github.com/advisories/GHSA-crqf-q9fp-hwjw
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/34xxx/CVE-2023-34040.json
github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka