High severity · published Sep 15, 2026
CVE-2026-55225
Strimzi: Cross-namespace privilege escalation via `Kafka.spec.entityOperator`
8.0
CVSS
0.3%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
Strimzi provides a way to run an Apache Kafka cluster on Kubernetes or OpenShift in various deployment configurations. In Strimzi 1.0.0 and earlier, an attacker who can create a Kafka custom resource can set Kafka.spec.entityOperator watchedNamespace to a target namespace, causing the Cluster Operator to create a Role with full Secret CRUD permissions there and bind it to the Entity Operator ServiceAccount in the attacker's namespace. The attacker can mint a token for that ServiceAccount and read or write Secrets in any target namespace where the Cluster Operator has been granted permissions, regardless of STRIMZI_NAMESPACE. This issue is fixed in versions 1.0.1 and 1.1.0.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Adjacent
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Changed
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.3% · higher than 22% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
ST
strimzi-kafka-operator · strimzi
< 1.0.1 · source: vendor
SF
streams for Apache Kafka 2 · Red Hat
All versions, or not specified · source: CISA
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-55225
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-55225
github.com
https://github.com/strimzi/strimzi-kafka-operator/commit/b3bfeffcc30754c3e62e6f4afd8a76942cac440d
github.com
https://github.com/strimzi/strimzi-kafka-operator/commit/f6c5207ba7ec89b46ce6720b8638d647e556a261
github.com
https://github.com/strimzi/strimzi-kafka-operator/pull/12844
github.com
https://github.com/strimzi/strimzi-kafka-operator/releases/tag/1.0.1
github.com
https://github.com/strimzi/strimzi-kafka-operator/releases/tag/1.1.0
github.com
https://github.com/strimzi/strimzi-kafka-operator/security/advisories/GHSA-mw9r-p8xp-wx96
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CVE-2026-55226
Strimzi: Unrestricted access to all Secrets within namespace watched by the Topic operator
