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FlinkApplication · Apache

CVE-2026-35194

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.20.4 / 2.0.2 or later.
See remediation →
87/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Code injection in SQL code generation in Apache Flink 1.15.0 through 1.20.x and 2.0.0 through 2.x allows authenticated users with query submission privileges to execute arbitrary code on TaskManagers via maliciously crafted SQL queries. The vulnerability affects JSON functions (1.15.0+) and LIKE expressions with ESCAPE clauses (1.17.0+). User-controlled strings are interpolated into generated Java code without proper escaping, allowing attackers to break out of string literals and inject arbitrary expressions. Users are recommended to upgrade to either version 1.20.4, 2.0.2, 2.1.2 or 2.2.1, which fixes this issue.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Code injection vulnerability in Apache Flink's SQL code generation allows authenticated users with query submission privileges to inject arbitrary Java code via maliciously crafted SQL queries. User-controlled strings in JSON functions (1.15.0+) and LIKE expressions with ESCAPE clauses (1.17.0+) are interpolated into generated Java code without proper escaping, enabling attackers to break out of string literals and execute arbitrary code on TaskManagers.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Flink to version 1.20.4, 2.0.2, 2.1.2, or 2.2.1 to obtain the security fix. Alternatively, restrict query submission privileges to trusted users only until patching can be completed.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
FlinkApplication
Affected:>= 1.15.0, < 1.20.4>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.2>= 2.1.0, < 2.1.2= 2.2.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Flink version
    Run 'flink --version' or check the Flink dashboard/UI for the running version. If using a package manager, check the installed package version.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: >= 1.15.0 and < 1.20.4, >= 2.0.0 and < 2.0.2, >= 2.1.0 and < 2.1.2, or equals 2.2.0
  2. Verify SQL query submission is enabled
    Check if the SQL Gateway or SQL API is enabled in the Flink configuration. Look for sql-gateway.enabled or similar settings in flink-conf.yaml. Confirm the SQL gateway port is accessible.
    Affected if SQL query submission functionality is enabled and accessible to users
  3. Determine if users have query submission privileges
    Review user access controls, LDAP/AD integration settings, or SQL Gateway authentication configuration. Check which users or roles have permission to submit SQL queries.
    Affected if Authenticated users have privileges to submit SQL queries to the cluster
  4. Check for JSON function usage in queries
    Review application logs or query history for use of JSON functions such as JSON_EXTRACT, JSON_VALUE, or similar JSON operators in submitted SQL queries.
    Affected if Users are executing SQL queries containing JSON functions (applicable to versions 1.15.0+)
  5. Check for LIKE with ESCAPE clause usage
    Review application logs or query history for SQL queries using LIKE patterns with ESCAPE clauses, such as 'WHERE column LIKE '%...%' ESCAPE '\'
    Affected if Users are executing SQL queries containing LIKE expressions with ESCAPE clauses (applicable to versions 1.17.0+)

Your environment is affected if you run a vulnerable Flink version AND have SQL query submission enabled with users having query privileges, especially if those users utilize JSON functions or LIKE with ESCAPE clauses.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.20.4 / 2.0.2 / 2.1.2 or later
Fixed in 1.20.42.0.22.1.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache Flink to version 1.20.4, 2.0.2, 2.1.2, or 2.2.1 to obtain the security fix. Alternatively, restrict query submission privileges to trusted users only until patching can be completed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Flink 1.20.4 (for 1.x users) or Flink 2.2.1 (for 2.x users) - or the appropriate version: 1.20.4, 2.0.2, 2.1.2, or 2.2.1

  1. 1. Identify the current Apache Flink version running in your environment
  2. 2. Choose the appropriate fixed version based on your current major version: upgrade to 1.20.4 if on 1.x, or upgrade to 2.0.2/2.1.2/2.2.1 if on 2.x
  3. 3. Review upgrade guides and release notes for the target version to understand migration requirements
  4. 4. Back up all Flink configuration files, state, and metadata
  5. 5. Stop all Flink services (JobManager, TaskManager, HistoryServer)
  6. 6. Install the new fixed version (1.20.4, 2.0.2, 2.1.2, or 2.2.1) following standard installation procedures
  7. 7. Restore or migrate configuration files as needed
  8. 8. Start Flink services and verify they start successfully
Caveat Major version upgrades from Flink 1.x to 2.x may introduce breaking changes; review release notes for API and behavior changes before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Flink Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-35194 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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