Summary
Strimzi: Unrestricted access to all Secrets within namespace watched by the Topic operator
Workarounds
There is no workaround for this issue.
Impact
When only the Topic or only the User operators are deployed as part of the Entity Operator in the Kafka custom resource, the RBAC rights are not following the principle of least-privilege and the Entity Operator ServiceAccount still has access rights corresponding to both operators. That might allow the ServiceAccount to access KafkaUser custom resources and Secrets when the User operator is not deployed and access KafkaTopic custom resources when the Topic operator is not deployed.
The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access. Typical impact: privilege escalation beyond the intended level.
CVE-2026-55226 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (Medium). The vector is reachable from an adjacent network, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.0.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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The issue is fixed in Strimzi 1.0.1 and 1.1.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-55226? CVE-2026-55226 is a medium-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in io.strimzi:strimzi (maven), affecting versions <= 1.0.0. It is fixed in 1.0.1. The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access.
- How severe is CVE-2026-55226? CVE-2026-55226 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of io.strimzi:strimzi are affected by CVE-2026-55226? io.strimzi:strimzi (maven) versions <= 1.0.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-55226? Yes. CVE-2026-55226 is fixed in 1.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-55226 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-55226 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-55226 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-55226? Upgrade
io.strimzi:strimzito 1.0.1 or later.