The current version of Apache Kafka is 4.3.1 (as of 23/06/2026). patchletter checks the official source daily and emails you new releases.
BSI security advisories
Advisories the German BSI (CERT-Bund) published for this product. Whether your version is affected is stated in the advisory itself.
- Apache Kafka: Mehrere Schwachstellen
WID-SEC-W-2026-1166 · 14 Aug
- Apache Kafka: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Offenlegung von Informationen
WID-SEC-W-2026-0996 · 13 Aug
- Apache Kafka: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Denial of Service
WID-SEC-W-2024-0799 · 12 Aug
- Apache log4j: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Codeausführung
WID-SEC-W-2022-0351 · 8 Jul
- Apache Kafka: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Offenlegung von Informationen
WID-SEC-W-2026-1765 · 3 Jun
Apache Kafka at a glance
Apache Kafka is a widely used distributed event-streaming platform, the backbone of many data pipelines. Kafka ships regular releases plus security fixes; as core infrastructure many systems depend on, careful, staged updates matter.
For admins upgrades follow a documented, staged process (rolling broker updates, inter-broker protocol and message-format versions) — read the upgrade notes and don't skip the steps. The move away from ZooKeeper toward KRaft mode is a significant architectural shift to plan for. Brokers and the control plane belong on a protected network with authentication (SASL), TLS and ACLs — an exposed cluster is a serious risk. Back up configuration and verify replication before and after. Client and broker compatibility spans versions but has limits — check them. Track the version and its support window; patchletter flags new Kafka releases.
Support cycles (endoflife.date)
| Cycle | Latest version | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 4.3 | 4.3.1 | supported |
| 4.2 | 4.2.2 | supported |
| 4.1 | 4.1.2 | supported |
| 4.0 | 4.0.2 | supported |
| 3.9 | 3.9.2 | supported |
| 3.8 | 3.8.1 | End of Life |
| 3.7 | 3.7.2 | End of Life |
| 3.6 | 3.6.2 | End of Life |
Version history & changelog · as detected by patchletter
| Version | Channel | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3.1 | STABLE | 23/06/2026 | – |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the latest version of Apache Kafka?
- Apache Kafka 4.3.1, released 23/06/2026. patchletter checks the vendor's official source daily for new releases.
- Where can I find the Apache Kafka release notes?
- The version history above links to the vendor's official release notes where the vendor publishes them. patchletter deliberately stores no vendor full texts.
- How do I get notified about new Apache Kafka updates?
- Tick Apache Kafka off in the catalogue and leave your address. From then on new versions go out by email — one at a time, or bundled in the daily or weekly digest.
An email as soon as a new Apache Kafka version ships
We reconcile the vendor source daily. When a new version appears, it lands in your inbox right away or bundled as a digest. The update email is free and ends with one click. Alerts about vulnerabilities and end of support are part of patchletter Pro.
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[](https://patchletter.com/en/software/kafka)https://patchletter.com/badge/kafka.svgAlso available: ?v=eol (end of support) and ?v=cve (actively exploited).
