CVE-2026-55226: CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management in strimzi strimzi-kafka-operator
Strimzi Kafka Operator versions 1.0.0 and earlier have an improper privilege management vulnerability where the Entity Operator ServiceAccount retains RBAC permissions for both the Topic Operator and User Operator even when only one is deployed. This can lead to unauthorized access to KafkaUser custom resources and Secrets or KafkaTopic custom resources depending on which operator is absent. The issue is resolved in versions 1.0.1 and 1.1.0.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
In Strimzi Kafka Operator versions 1.0.0 and earlier, deploying only the Topic Operator or only the User Operator via the Kafka custom resource does not restrict the Entity Operator ServiceAccount's RBAC permissions accordingly. This results in the ServiceAccount having excessive permissions, allowing access to KafkaUser custom resources and Secrets when the User Operator is not deployed, or access to KafkaTopic custom resources when the Topic Operator is not deployed. This improper privilege management is identified as CWE-269 and CWE-272. The vulnerability is fixed in versions 1.0.1 and 1.1.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker or compromised component with access to the Entity Operator ServiceAccount could access KafkaUser custom resources and Secrets or KafkaTopic custom resources beyond the intended scope, potentially leading to unauthorized information disclosure or limited integrity impact. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), reflecting high confidentiality impact, low integrity impact, and no availability impact.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade to Strimzi Kafka Operator version 1.0.1 or later, where the RBAC permissions for the Entity Operator ServiceAccount are correctly scoped to the deployed components. No other mitigation is indicated by the vendor advisory.
CVE-2026-55226: CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management in strimzi strimzi-kafka-operator
Description
Strimzi Kafka Operator versions 1.0.0 and earlier have an improper privilege management vulnerability where the Entity Operator ServiceAccount retains RBAC permissions for both the Topic Operator and User Operator even when only one is deployed. This can lead to unauthorized access to KafkaUser custom resources and Secrets or KafkaTopic custom resources depending on which operator is absent. The issue is resolved in versions 1.0.1 and 1.1.0.
CVSS v3.1
Score 5.4medium
Affected software
strimzi
strimzi-kafka-operator
pkg:github/strimzi/strimzi-kafka-operatorRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
In Strimzi Kafka Operator versions 1.0.0 and earlier, deploying only the Topic Operator or only the User Operator via the Kafka custom resource does not restrict the Entity Operator ServiceAccount's RBAC permissions accordingly. This results in the ServiceAccount having excessive permissions, allowing access to KafkaUser custom resources and Secrets when the User Operator is not deployed, or access to KafkaTopic custom resources when the Topic Operator is not deployed. This improper privilege management is identified as CWE-269 and CWE-272. The vulnerability is fixed in versions 1.0.1 and 1.1.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker or compromised component with access to the Entity Operator ServiceAccount could access KafkaUser custom resources and Secrets or KafkaTopic custom resources beyond the intended scope, potentially leading to unauthorized information disclosure or limited integrity impact. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), reflecting high confidentiality impact, low integrity impact, and no availability impact.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade to Strimzi Kafka Operator version 1.0.1 or later, where the RBAC permissions for the Entity Operator ServiceAccount are correctly scoped to the deployed components. No other mitigation is indicated by the vendor advisory.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-16T16:16:32.628Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6aa9813155bf5e2cf527c2d7
Added to database: 09/15/2026, 17:32:33 UTC
Last enriched: 09/15/2026, 17:47:35 UTC
Last updated: 09/15/2026, 17:51:50 UTC
Views: 4
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