Advisory [CVE-2026-111496] Apache Kafka: Kafka Streams derives its stream-time clock from record timestamps
This security Apache Software Foundation advisory covers CVE-2026-111496; related products: Apache Kafka.
Aggregated and source-linked by VulniPulse. Data sources, validation and limitations.
VulniPulse record published Record updated
Get an email when Apache Software Foundation publishes the next one.
VulniPulse checks Apache Software Foundation's security advisories around the clock and emails you new ones with the severity, the fixed version and the vendor's link. First month free, then US$15/month; we email you before the first charge.
Summary
Kafka Streams derives its stream-time clock from record timestamps. PunctuationSchedule.next() computed the next punctuation time as timestamp + (intervalsMissed + 1) * interval with no overflow check.
A record with a timestamp at or near Long.MAX_VALUE advances stream time to that value, so the next stream-time punctuation overflows to a negative time. PunctuationQueue then re-queues that time and loops on it indefinitely while holding a lock, stalling the StreamThread.
Impact:
A single record is enough. The affected StreamThread stops processing, and because the record stays in the topic the hang returns on restart; an application whose partitions are all affected becomes unresponsive.
Only the Streams application is affected, not the brokers or the cluster.
Triggering it needs write access to a source topic whose topology uses stream-time punctuation, and a broker that stores the record: brokers from Apache Kafka 4.0.0 reject such a timestamp by default (log.message.timestamp.after.max.ms, one hour), so it is reachable only on older brokers or where that bound has been relaxed.
- Apache Kafka 1.1.0 through 4.1.2
- Apache Kafka 4.2.0 through 4.2.1
- Apache Kafka 4.3.0 through 4.3.1
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 1 hour ago·verify at source
Fixed versions
No fixed release is recorded yet. That does not prove no patch exists. Confirm against the vendor advisory.
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 1 hour ago·verify at source
Mitigation checklist
- Mitigation: Upgrade Kafka Streams to 4.2.2, 4.3.2, or 4.4.0.
- As defense in depth, keep log.message.timestamp.after.max.ms bounded on source topics and restrict write access to them.
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 1 hour ago·verify at source
More Apache Software Foundation advisories
- CVE-2026-114349Oct 28, 2026Apache Kafka: When a broker decodes a compressed record batch, the per-record decoder
- CVE-2026-112375Oct 28, 2026Apache Kafka: authenticated Kafka principal with no authorization grants
- CVE-2026-111551Oct 28, 2026Apache Kafka: Several Kafka deserialization paths read a size or count field from input
- CVE-2026-111115Oct 28, 2026Apache Kafka's code-generated readers for flexible protocol versions read a tagged-field
- CVE-2026-111108Oct 28, 2026Apache Kafka's code-generated protocol readers pre-size an array's collection
- CVE-2026-111073Oct 28, 2026Apache Kafka: The broker-side PushTelemetry API (KIP-714) validates only the compressed
Android app · Google Play
Monitor future Apache Software Foundation CVEs from your phone.
Choose a whole vendor or a precise platform, then receive matching security advisories by phone notification, email, or both. Coverage follows 34 official vendor sources and 160+ reviewed platform categories.
Discussion(0)
No comments yet. Share field notes, upgrade gotchas, or questions — verify against the vendor advisory before acting on community advice.
Sign in to join the discussion.