Integer overflow in Apache Kafka Streams hangs StreamThread
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · High
- Fix status
- Deferred Red Hat: fix deferred
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-835.
Summary
Apache Kafka from 1.1.0 through 4.1.2, from 4.2.0 through 4.2.1 and from 4.3.0 through 4.3.1 is affected. Kafka Streams computes the next stream-time punctuation without an overflow check (CWE-190), so a record with a timestamp near the maximum value makes it wrap negative. The StreamThread then loops on that time while holding a lock and stops processing. An attacker with write access to a source topic used by stream-time punctuation can trigger this with one record, and the hang returns after a restart.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-05
Description from the CNA
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. 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. Resolution: From Apache Kafka 4.2.2, 4.3.2, and 4.4.0: the next punctuation time is computed with overflow-checked arithmetic (clamped to Long.MAX_VALUE), and a rescheduled punctuation is re-queued only when its time moves forward.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade Kafka Streams to 4.2.2, 4.3.2 or 4.4.0. The sources list no fixed version for Red Hat Fuse 7, Red Hat build of Quarkus and streams for Apache Kafka 3. As defense in depth, keep log.message.timestamp.after.max.ms bounded on source topics and restrict write access to them.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-05
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Fuse 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat build of Quarkus | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| streams for Apache Kafka 3 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-28 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-111496
- 2026-10-28 Alias added: GHSA-f6x4-cq8q-x8cq
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-05 CVSS score added · CISA ADP
- 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-11-05 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
References
Advisory 1
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Sources
- CVE-2026-111496 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-111496 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-f6x4-cq8q-x8cq · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-111496 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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