CVE-2023-34040

Object deserialization via forged exception headers

Published Aug 24, 2023 · Updated Oct 1, 2024

Unsafe deserialization in Spring for Apache Kafka 2.8.1 through 2.9.10 and 3.0.0 through 3.0.9 allows attackers to load crafted objects. KafkaMessageListenerContainer accepts attacker-supplied deserialization-exception header bytes and passes them to Java ObjectInputStream without verifying that Spring created the header. Reachability requires an untrusted Kafka publisher, an enabled null-key or null-value exception check, and no ErrorHandlingDeserializer; Spring has not specified a single post-deserialization consequence.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability2.09%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Unsafe deserialization in Spring for Apache Kafka 2.8.1 through 2.9.10 and 3.0.0 through 3.0.9 allows attackers to load crafted objects. KafkaMessageListenerContainer accepts attacker-supplied deserialization-exception header bytes and passes them to Java ObjectInputStream without verifying that Spring created the header. Reachability requires an untrusted Kafka publisher, an enabled null-key or null-value exception check, and no ErrorHandlingDeserializer; Spring has not specified a single post-deserialization consequence.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-34040
Published
Aug 24, 2023
Updated
Oct 1, 2024
Vendor
Spring
Product
Spring for Apache Kafka
Classifications
CWE-502
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 24, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 1, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.8.x <2.9.11
  2. Affected versionversion=2.9.x <2.9.11
  3. Affected versionversion=3.0.x <3.0.10

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Spring · Spring for Apache Kafkaversion=2.8.x <2.9.11; version=2.9.x <2.9.11; version=3.0.x <3.0.10

Published CVSS scores

7.8GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-502Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo