Apache Kafka 2.1
Apache Kafka 2.1
The Apache Kafka 2.1 reached end of service life on Dec 14, 2020 — Apache Kafka no longer ships security patches or fixes for it. Our third-party support keeps it safe to run: 24/7 engineers manage issues, remediate vulnerabilities, and help you maintain compliance.
24/7 engineers own your Apache Kafka 2.1 incidents end to end.
Mitigation and patch-around guidance when the vendor no longer ships fixes.
Controls evidence and documentation that keep auditors satisfied.
Specifications
- product
- apache-kafka
- release
- 2.1
- product Label
- Apache Kafka
- release Label
- 2.1
- codename
- lts
- latest Version
- 2.1.1
- release Date
- 2018-11-20
- maintained
- source Url
- https://endoflife.date/apache-kafka
Lifecycle Dates
- End of Service Life
- Dec 14, 2020
- Last OEM Support
- Mar 22, 2019
OEM vs. 3rd Party Support
See how third-party support compares to the vendor contract for Apache Kafka 2.1 — monitoring, break/fix, vulnerability work, operations and compliance, before and after EOSL.
| Feature | OEM Support | 3rd Party Support |
|---|---|---|
| Post-EOSL Support | ||
| Break/Fix Support | Until EOSL | |
| 24/7 Monitoring | ||
| Vulnerability Scanning & Remediation | ||
| Managed Operations | ||
| Procedure & Configuration Review | ||
| Compliance & Audit Documentation | Limited | |
| Discounted Migration to Other Platforms |
Why Choose 3rd Party Support for Apache Kafka 2.1?
Vulnerability Remediation
Scanning, mitigation and patch-around guidance for Apache Kafka 2.1 when the vendor no longer ships fixes.
Compliance Maintenance
Procedure review, controls evidence and the documentation auditors ask for — maintained continuously, not scrambled at audit time.
24/7 Expert Support
Engineers who know this release monitor, manage and fix issues around the clock — break/fix to managed operations.
Apache Kafka 2.1 Support: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Apache Kafka 2.1 still supported?
Apache Kafka ended support for the Apache Kafka 2.1 on Dec 14, 2020 — no more patches or fixes from the vendor. Third-party support keeps it covered: our engineers manage issues, remediate vulnerabilities, and help you maintain compliance for as long as you run it.
When is the Apache Kafka 2.1 end of service life (EOSL) date?
Apache Kafka lists the end of service life for the Apache Kafka 2.1 as Dec 14, 2020.
Can I keep using the Apache Kafka 2.1 after its EOSL date?
Yes. EOSL means Apache Kafka stops issuing patches and support — the software itself keeps running. Third-party support covers it from there: issue management, security vulnerability remediation, and the compliance documentation auditors ask for, for as long as you choose to run it.
How much does third-party support for the Apache Kafka 2.1 cost?
Typically 40-70% below the OEM maintenance renewal price. Exact pricing depends on quantity, service level and location — request a quote and we respond within 24 hours.
Known Vulnerabilities Affecting Apache Kafka 2.1
6 published CVEs affect the Apache Kafka 2.1, including 3 rated critical or high severity. Apache Kafka no longer ships security patches for this release — our engineers provide mitigation guidance, workarounds and hardening support.
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | Published | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2018-17196 | HIGH | 8.8 | Jul 11, 2019 | In Apache Kafka versions between 0.11.0.0 and 2.1.0, it is possible to manually craft a Produce request which bypasses transaction/idempotent ACL validation. Only authenticated clients with Write permission on the respective topics are able to exploit this vulnerability. Users should upgrade to 2.1.1 or later where this vulnerability has been fixed. |
| CVE-2025-27819 | HIGH | 7.5 | Jun 10, 2025 | In CVE-2023-25194, we announced the RCE/Denial of service attack via SASL JAAS JndiLoginModule configuration in Kafka Connect API. But not only Kafka Connect API is vulnerable to this attack, the Apache Kafka brokers also have this vulnerability. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs to be able to connect to the Kafka cluster and have the AlterConfigs permission on the cluster resource. Since Apache Kafka 3.4.0, we have added a system property ("-Dorg.apache.kafka.disallowed.login. |
| CVE-2019-12399 | HIGH | 7.5 | Jan 14, 2020 | When Connect workers in Apache Kafka 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.1.0, 2.1.1, 2.2.0, 2.2.1, or 2.3.0 are configured with one or more config providers, and a connector is created/updated on that Connect cluster to use an externalized secret variable in a substring of a connector configuration property value, then any client can issue a request to the same Connect cluster to obtain the connector's task configuration and the response will contain the plaintext secret rather than the externalized secrets variabl |
| CVE-2021-38153 | MEDIUM | 5.9 | Sep 22, 2021 | Some components in Apache Kafka use `Arrays.equals` to validate a password or key, which is vulnerable to timing attacks that make brute force attacks for such credentials more likely to be successful. Users should upgrade to 2.8.1 or higher, or 3.0.0 or higher where this vulnerability has been fixed. The affected versions include Apache Kafka 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.1.0, 2.1.1, 2.2.0, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.3.0, 2.3.1, 2.4.0, 2.4.1, 2.5.0, 2.5.1, 2.6.0, 2.6.1, 2.6.2, 2.7.0, 2.7.1, and 2.8.0. |
| CVE-2026-33558 | MEDIUM | 5.3 | Apr 20, 2026 | Information exposure vulnerability has been identified in Apache Kafka. The NetworkClient component will output entire requests and responses information in the DEBUG log level in the logs. By default, the log level is set to INFO level. If the DEBUG level is enabled, the sensitive information will be exposed via the requests and responses output log. The entire lists of impacted requests and responses are: * AlterConfigsRequest * AlterUserScramCredentialsRequest * ExpireDelegation |
| CVE-2024-56128 | MEDIUM | 5.3 | Dec 18, 2024 | Incorrect Implementation of Authentication Algorithm in Apache Kafka's SCRAM implementation. Issue Summary: Apache Kafka's implementation of the Salted Challenge Response Authentication Mechanism (SCRAM) did not fully adhere to the requirements of RFC 5802 [1]. Specifically, as per RFC 5802, the server must verify that the nonce sent by the client in the second message matches the nonce sent by the server in its first message. However, Kafka's SCRAM implementation did not perform this validatio |