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CVE-2026-111115

Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2026-111115

Apache Kafka's code-generated readers for flexible protocol versions read a tagged-field count declared by the sender and retain a RawTaggedField object for each unknown field. That count was bounded only by the outer request frame size (socket.request.max.bytes); it was not checked against the remaining buffer bytes or capped. Because each entry can be encoded in as little as two bytes (unknown tag 0, size 0), a modest request can declare tens of millions of tagged fields and force one object a

Thursday, November 5, 2026Vulnios Threat Intelligence
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Vulnerability Snapshot

CVE-2026-111115 is rated CRITICAL — exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.

Executive Summary

Apache Kafka's code-generated readers for flexible protocol versions read a tagged-field count declared by the sender and retain a RawTaggedField object for each unknown field. That count was bounded only by the outer request frame size (socket.request.max.bytes); it was not checked against the remaining buffer bytes or capped. Because each entry can be encoded in as little as two bytes (unknown tag 0, size 0), a modest request can declare tens of millions of tagged fields and force one object allocation per declared field. Flexible request headers (header version 2, used by flexible APIs such as ApiVersions v3) are parsed this way, so the amplification applies to the request header itself.

Impact:

The flexible request header is parsed on the network thread before authorization, request dispatch, and request-time quota accounting. A client can send a request of a few tens of megabytes whose header declares about 20 million tagged fields, forcing roughly that many RawTaggedField alloc

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-111115 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.

CVSS Base Score: 9.1/10

🛡️What Defenders Should Check

  • Check if you are affected — Review your asset inventory for products listed in CVE-2026-111115.
  • Apply available patches — Visit vendor advisories for the latest security updates.
  • Monitor for exploitation — Check your SIEM/IDS logs for related indicators.

    • Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2026-111115 and similar vulnerabilities.

    References & Sources

  • https://kafka.apache.org/cve-list
  • http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/10/28/12

    • How Vulnios Detects This

    Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using Trivy and Grype for SBOM-based CVE matching and Vulnios CVE feed continuous monitoring against your asset inventory. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.

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    Sources

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is CVE-2026-111115?

    CVE-2026-111115 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. Apache Kafka's code-generated readers for flexible protocol versions read a tagged-field count declared by the sender and retain a RawTaggedField object for each unknown field. That count was bounded

    Am I affected?

    Affected technology is listed in the Affected Products section above. If your asset inventory contains any of them, assume in-scope until you can prove otherwise.

    How urgent is the response?

    Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.

    How do I remediate?

    Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.

    Where can I track exploitation activity?

    Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2026-111115. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.

    How does Vulnios help with this?

    Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.

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