StreamsHub Console: Cross-namespace secret exfiltration via confused deputy

Summary

The StreamsHub Console operator (console-operator, Streams for Apache Kafka) can be abused by a Kubernetes tenant who is allowed to create or update Console custom resources. By setting kafkaUser.namespace to another namespace, the attacker makes the operator read KafkaUser secrets there, such as SASL credentials or TLS private keys, and write them in plaintext into a secret in the attacker's own namespace. The attack requires valid low-privilege access to the cluster and no user interaction; the flaw has no same-namespace check. Impact is confidentiality only (CVSS 7.7 from the CNA).

Affected

• Red Hat StreamsHub Console for Apache Kafka 0.2.0 to before 0.12.10
• Red Hat StreamsHub Console for Apache Kafka 0.13.0 to before 0.14.2
• Red Hat Streams for Apache Kafka 2 and 3 (default: affected)

Fixed in

• Upgrade to 0.12.10 or 0.14.2 or later, depending on your release line (per Red Hat advisory AV26-1084)
• The 0.14.2 fix is confirmed upstream; the 0.12.10 fix has not been verified at code level

Workaround

• Remove create and update permissions on consoles.console.streamshub.github.com from tenant-facing roles; only trusted cluster administrators should manage Console CRs
• Audit existing Console CRs for kafkaUser.namespace values outside their own namespace
• Restrict operator pod egress with a NetworkPolicy (defence in depth)
• Enable Kubernetes API audit logging for Console CR changes and operator Secret reads

Exploitation

• No public proof of concept or known exploitation found at time of research
• Not listed in CISA KEV
• CISA SSVC: exploitation none, not automatable, partial technical impact
• EPSS below 1%

Our recommendation

• Identify all StreamsHub Console or console-operator deployments and their versions
• Upgrade to 0.12.10 or 0.14.2 or later, depending on your release line
• Upgrade together with CVE-2026-105312 (Critical, also fixed in 0.14.2)
• Until patched, restrict who can create or update Console CRs and audit existing CRs for cross-namespace KafkaUser references
• Rotate KafkaUser credentials if cross-namespace references were found

Public exploits iAttack code is publicly available (PoC on GitHub, Metasploit or Exploit-DB).

PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.

Research sources

• Red Hat CVE record CVE-2026-105311 access.redhat.com
• Red Hat Bugzilla 2510875 bugzilla.redhat.com
• StreamsHub Console release 0.14.2 github.com
• Red Hat Security Advisory AV26-1084 (Canadian Centre for Cyber Security) www.cyber.gc.ca
• OpenCVE CVE-2026-105311 app.opencve.io
• Vulners CVE-2026-105311 vulners.com
• HOL Guard CVE-2026-105311 hol.org
• OpenCVE CVE-2026-105312 app.opencve.io

Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 2 Nov 2026, 08:15.