CVE-2025-66623 Strimzi allows unrestricted access to all Secrets in the same Kubernetes namespace from Kafka Connect and MirrorMaker 2 operands
Strimzi operator grants excessive permissions allowing Kafka Connect and MirrorMaker 2 operands to read all Kubernetes Secrets in the namespace.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2025-66623?
CVE-2025-66623 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in strimzi-kafka-operator, published on 5 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Strimzi provides a way to run an Apache Kafka cluster on Kubernetes or OpenShift in various deployment configurations. From 0.47.0 and prior to 0.49.1, in some situations, Strimzi creates an incorrect Kubernetes Role which grants the Apache Kafka Connect and Apache Kafka MirrorMaker 2 operands the GET access to all Kubernetes Secrets that exist in the given Kubernetes namespace. The issue is fixed in Strimzi 0.49.1.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-66623?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including io.strimzi:strimzi. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
io.strimzi:strimzi Maven | From 0.47.0 | 0.49.1 |
io.strimzi:strimzi Maven | From 0.47.0 | 0.49.1 |
Products include Linuxfoundation Strimzi.
How do I fix CVE-2025-66623?
Upgrade io.strimzi:strimzi to 0.49.1 or later.
Upgrade, and check permissions on every request on the server, not only in the interface. More about Missing authorization.
Is CVE-2025-66623 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-66623 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in strimzi-kafka-operator
Sources
Also known as GHSA-xrhh-hx36-485q.