CVE-2026-111681: EFAK through 5.1.0 Privilege Escalation via /api/users REST API

Severity: high (CVSS 8.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.3% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-10-16 · updated 2026-10-16
Weakness: CWE-862

Description

EFAK through 5.1.0 contains a missing authorization vulnerability that allows authenticated low-privilege users to manage accounts because the /api/users endpoints lack administrator role checks. Attackers can send POST, PUT, or DELETE requests to UserController to grant themselves ROLE_ADMIN, create administrators, or delete users, gaining control of managed Kafka clusters.

Affected products

smartloli EFAK: from 5.0.0 through 5.1.0

References

https://github.com/smartloli/EFAK
https://github.com/smartloli/EFAK/blob/v5.1.0/efak-web/src/main/java/org/kafka/eagle/web/controller/UserController.java#L218-L302
https://github.com/smartloli/EFAK/blob/v5.1.0/efak-web/src/main/java/org/kafka/eagle/web/security/config/WebSecurityConfig.java#L89-L93
https://hackmd.io/@hieuPenguinnn/efak-missing-admin-gate-user-management-api
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/efak-through-5.1.0-privilege-escalation-via-api-users-rest-api

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