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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2021-38153

Apache kafka Observable Discrepancy

Published Apr 11, 2023 · catalog updated Apr 11, 2023 · Apache

Patch now

CVE-2021-38153 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog. Confirm Apache against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Gaps on this record

  • No version range is stored. A customer cannot check an installed version against this record.
Severity
Unknown—
Known exploitation
CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
6.20%
Remediation
Remediation guidance
Affected products
vendor Apache kafka

Some components in Apache Kafka use to validate a password or key, which is vulnerable to timing attacks that make brute force attacks for such credentials more likely to be successful. Users should upgrade to 2.8.1 or higher, or 3.0.0 or higher where this vulnerability has been fixed. The affected versions include Apache Kafka 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.1.0, 2.1.1, 2.2.0, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.3.0, 2.3.1, 2.4.0, 2.4.1, 2.5.0, 2.5.1, 2.6.0, 2.6.1, 2.6.2, 2.7.0, 2.7.1, and 2.8.0.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • vendor Apache kafkaversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2021-38153

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

CVE-2021-38153 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog. Confirm Apache against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Which versions are affected?

Affected version ranges are not on this record. Apply remediations or mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if remediation or mitigations are unavailable.

What should an analyst verify?

No weakness class is stored. EPSS 6.20%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Apr 11, 2023 · VulnCheck KEV

    Detected

    Some components in Apache Kafka use to validate a password or key, which is vulnerable to timing attacks that make brute force attacks for such credentials more likely to be successful. Users should upgrade to 2.8.1 or higher, or 3.0.0 or higher where this vulnerability has been fixed. The affected versions include Apache Kafka 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.1.0, 2.1.1, 2.2.0, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.3.0, 2.3.1, 2.4.0,

  2. Apr 11, 2023 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply remediations or mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if remediation or mitigations are unavailable.

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2021-38153

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2021-38153

    30-day exploitation probability 6.2%

    first.org
  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2021-38153

    Some components in Apache Kafka use to validate a password or key, which is vulnerable to timing attacks that make brute force attacks for such credentials more likely to be successful. Users should upgrade to 2.8.1 or higher, or 3.0.0 or higher where this vulnerability has been

    vulncheck.com

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 18, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.