# CVE-2023-25194: Apache Kafka Connect API - RCE

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2023-25194 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2023-25194

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Limited Exploitation. The vulnerability is known but shows very limited attacker interest or exploitation activity.
- **CVSS score:** 8.8
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** Apache Kafka Connect API
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)
- **Tags:** web_application

## Description

A security vulnerability has been identified in Apache Kafka Connect API.
This requires access to a Kafka Connect worker, and the ability to create/modify connectors on it with an arbitrary Kafka client SASL JAAS config.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2023-25194](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2023-25194) is a high-severity vulnerability in the Apache Kafka Connect API that allows authenticated operators to exploit the JndiLoginModule via connector configuration, potentially leading to remote code execution through unsafe Java deserialization. Attackers with access to modify connector settings can leverage this flaw to connect to malicious LDAP servers and execute arbitrary code on the Kafka Connect server, posing significant risks to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 19th of August 2025.

According to CrowdSec data, while opportunistic exploitation dominates, a portion of threat actors trying to exploit CVE-2023-25194 apply basic targeting methods such as port or service detection. This indicates emerging patterns of selective targeting.
Telemetry from the CrowdSec network also shows that exploitation activity for CVE-2023-25194 remains steady week-over-week. Attack volumes are consistent with long-term trends, indicating sustained interest from threat actors. CVE-2023-25194 continues to be an active part of the threat landscape and will likely remain this way for the forseeable future.

Attackers exploit the Apache Druid Kafka Connect REST API by sending crafted POST requests to the `/druid/indexer/v1/sampler?for=connect` endpoint, embedding malicious JNDI payloads in the JSON body to trigger remote code execution via unsafe deserialization.

## Timeline

- 2023-02-07: CVE Published. CVE-2023-25194 is published to NVD.
- 2025-08-19: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2023-25194 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2025-08-25: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2023-25194 for the first time.

## References

- https://kafka.apache.org/cve-list
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/vy1c7fqcdqvq5grcqp6q5jyyb302khyz
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-25194.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2023-25194) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2023-25194. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.