CVE-2026-46751: Apache Kvrocks Security Vulnerability

CVE-2026-46751 Overview

CVE-2026-46751 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apache Kvrocks, a distributed key-value Network Operations System (NoSQL) database compatible with the Redis protocol. The flaw impacts Apache Kvrocks versions 2.2.0 through 2.15.0. The Apache Software Foundation has released version 2.16.0 to remediate the issue. Exploitation requires network access, low privileges, and user interaction, and attack complexity is rated high. No public proof-of-concept code or active exploitation has been reported at the time of disclosure.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected Kvrocks instance, with potential downstream impact on connected subsequent systems.

Affected Products

Apache Kvrocks 2.2.0 through 2.15.0
Deployments using Kvrocks as a Redis-compatible persistent key-value store
Distributed environments running vulnerable Kvrocks nodes

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-25 - CVE CVE-2026-46751 published to NVD
2026-06-25 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-46751

Vulnerability Analysis

Apache Kvrocks is a high-performance distributed key-value store that implements the Redis Serialization Protocol (RESP) and persists data using RocksDB as its storage engine. The vulnerability spans a wide release range, from 2.2.0 through 2.15.0, indicating the defect has remained in the codebase across multiple releases.

The official advisory describes the issue as "a vulnerability in Apache Kvrocks" without disclosing the specific weakness class. Based on the published attack characteristics, exploitation requires network reachability to a Kvrocks service, an authenticated low-privilege session, and a user-driven action to trigger the unsafe code path. The high attack complexity indicates non-trivial preconditions must be satisfied for reliable exploitation.

Impact metrics indicate the flaw can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the vulnerable instance. The advisory also reports a high impact to subsequent systems, meaning a compromised Kvrocks node can influence the security state of downstream services that trust its data.

Root Cause

The Apache Kvrocks project has not published a detailed root-cause analysis in the referenced advisory. Operators should review the Apache Security Mailing List Discussion and the Openwall OSS-Security Update for the authoritative description once additional technical details are released.

Attack Vector

An attacker establishes a network session to the Kvrocks service and authenticates with low-privilege credentials. The attacker then issues a crafted command sequence over RESP that requires participation by a legitimate user to complete exploitation. Because the scope changes to other components, successful exploitation can propagate effects beyond the Kvrocks process itself to dependent systems such as replicas, caching tiers, or applications consuming key-value data.

The vulnerability mechanism is not documented in public sources beyond the advisory text. See the referenced Apache and Openwall threads for technical details as they become available.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-46751

Indicators of Compromise

Kvrocks server binary version reporting 2.2.0 through 2.15.0 via the INFO command
Unexpected authentication events from low-privilege Kvrocks accounts followed by anomalous command bursts
Unexplained changes to keyspaces, ACL definitions, or replication topology on Kvrocks nodes

Detection Strategies

Inventory all Kvrocks instances and identify any node running an affected release between 2.2.0 and 2.15.0
Enable RESP command auditing and forward logs to a centralized analytics platform for correlation
Baseline normal client command patterns and alert on deviations from authenticated low-privilege sessions

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor Kvrocks process telemetry for unusual child processes, file writes, or outbound network connections
Track authentication failures and ACL modifications against the kvrocks.conf policy file
Alert when replicas or downstream consumers ingest unexpected key schemas or oversized payloads

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-46751

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade all Apache Kvrocks deployments to version 2.16.0 or later, which contains the official fix
Restrict network exposure of Kvrocks ports to trusted application subnets only
Rotate credentials for any low-privilege Kvrocks accounts that may have been exposed

Patch Information

The Apache Kvrocks project released version 2.16.0 as the remediation for CVE-2026-46751. Operators should plan a rolling upgrade across primary and replica nodes, validate cluster health after each step, and confirm the running version using the INFO server command. Patch metadata is published in the Apache Security Mailing List Discussion.

Workarounds

Enforce strong authentication using the Kvrocks requirepass directive and ACL rules until the upgrade is applied
Place Kvrocks behind a network policy that blocks untrusted clients from reaching the RESP port
Disable or restrict commands available to non-administrative users through the Kvrocks ACL configuration

bash

# Verify the installed Kvrocks version and upgrade if affected
redis-cli -h <kvrocks-host> -p 6666 INFO server | grep kvrocks_version

# After upgrading, confirm the patched release is active
redis-cli -h <kvrocks-host> -p 6666 INFO server | grep kvrocks_version
# Expected output: kvrocks_version:2.16.0 or later