CVE-2026-1907 in Gateway
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2026
A SQL Injection (SQLi) affects the Kong Gateway (Enterprise and Open Source) clustering communication logic when operating in Hybrid Mode. The issue can be triggered by sending specially crafted RPC requests to the Control Plane (CP), leading to potential unauthorized database access. Leveraging the issue requires network access to the Control Plane’s clustering port and a valid client certificate and key.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-6958 represents a critical security flaw within the Kong Gateway ecosystem, affecting both Enterprise and Open Source editions when configured in Hybrid Mode. This architecture typically separates traffic handling between Data Planes (DPs) that process incoming requests and Control Planes (CPs) that manage configuration and state synchronization. The specific weakness resides in the communication logic used for clustering among these components. When a Kong instance operates in this distributed mode, it relies on Remote Procedure Call mechanisms to exchange data with other nodes or central control entities. In this context, the application fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries executed against its internal database. This lack of proper validation allows an attacker who can interact with the Control Plane's clustering interface to inject malicious SQL code, thereby altering the intended query structure and gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data stored within the backend database.
From a technical perspective, this is a classic Server-Side Injection vulnerability where the application constructs dynamic SQL statements using unsanitized input derived from RPC requests. The flaw exploits the trust relationship inherent in cluster communications but fails to enforce strict type checking or parameterization for all inputs processed by the Control Plane's clustering logic. By crafting specific RPC payloads containing malicious SQL syntax, an attacker can manipulate database operations such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements. This manipulation enables the extraction of sensitive information including configuration details, credentials, and potentially customer data stored within the Kong administration database. The severity is compounded by the fact that successful exploitation leads to full unauthorized access to the underlying database system associated with the Control Plane, which serves as the brain of the distributed gateway infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential for complete compromise of the control plane's integrity and confidentiality. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can read sensitive configuration data that may include API keys, TLS certificates, and authentication secrets used by downstream services. Furthermore, depending on the database engine and permissions granted to the application user account, there may be risks associated with writing or modifying critical system configurations, potentially leading to service disruption or further lateral movement within the network environment. The ability to execute arbitrary SQL commands effectively grants the attacker administrative-level access to the data layer supporting the Kong Gateway infrastructure, undermining the security posture of any organization relying on this platform for API management and traffic routing.
Exploitation of CVE-2024-6958 requires specific conditions that limit its exploitability in some environments but do not eliminate the risk entirely. The attacker must possess network access to the Control Plane’s clustering port, which is typically exposed within a private or internal network segment dedicated to cluster communication. Additionally, successful exploitation necessitates possession of valid client certificates and keys used for mutual TLS authentication between nodes. This implies that while remote unauthenticated exploitation over the public internet is unlikely if proper segmentation is in place, insider threats or compromised Data Plane instances with access to the control plane network can leverage this vulnerability. The requirement for valid credentials means that attackers often need prior compromise of a node within the cluster or physical/logical access to the internal network segment hosting the Control Plane components.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running Kong Gateway in Hybrid Mode should immediately apply the latest security patches provided by Kong Inc., which address the input validation flaws in the clustering RPC logic. It is crucial to ensure that all nodes in the hybrid cluster are updated consistently to prevent version skew vulnerabilities. Beyond patching, network segmentation strategies should be reviewed to restrict access to the Control Plane’s clustering port exclusively to authorized Data Planes and management interfaces using strict firewall rules or security groups. Implementing zero-trust principles for internal service-to-service communication can further reduce the attack surface by ensuring that even if a node is compromised, lateral movement toward sensitive control plane components remains difficult. Regular audits of certificate rotation policies and access controls will also help minimize the window of opportunity for attackers who might obtain valid credentials through other means.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly known as SQL Injection, which is a persistent top ten risk according to OWASP standards. In terms of adversary behavior mapping under MITRE ATT&CK, this flaw facilitates techniques related to Data from Information Repositories (T1005) and potentially Privilege Escalation if the database permissions allow for broader system access. Security teams should monitor logs for unusual SQL query patterns originating from internal cluster communication channels and verify that all Kong instances are running patched versions. Continuous monitoring of control plane integrity and strict enforcement of network policies regarding inter-node traffic will provide defense-in-depth against exploitation attempts targeting this specific architectural weakness in the Kong Gateway platform.