`CVE-2026-40048` Apache Camel

Affected software	Apache Camel
Severity	7.8 High CVSS 3.1 2 scores
Fixed in	`4.18.2`, `4.20.0`
Weakness	Deserialization of untrusted data (CWE-502)
Published	27 Apr 2026
Updated	26 Oct 2026

Description

The Camel-PQC FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager class deserializes the contents of <keyId>.key files in the configured key directory using java.io.ObjectInputStream without applying any ObjectInputFilter or class-loading restrictions. The cast to java.security.KeyPair is evaluated only after readObject() has already returned, so any readObject() side effects in the deserialized object run before the type check. An attacker who can write to the key directory used by a Camel application — for example through a path traversal into the directory, misconfigured filesystem permissions on the volume where keys are stored, a compromised key provisioning pipeline, or a symlink attack — can place a crafted serialized Java object that, when deserialized during normal key lifecycle operations, results in arbitrary code execution in the context of the application. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.19.0 before 4.20.0, from 4.18.0 before 4.18.2. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.20.0, which fixes the issue by replacing java.io.ObjectInputStream-based key and metadata storage with standard PKCS#8 (private key) / X.509 SubjectPublicKeyInfo (public key) Base64 JSON encoding. For users on the 4.18.x LTS releases stream, upgrade to 4.18.2.

Exploitation status

No public exploit

No exploit has been reported in the sources we check. The 1 repository below are public GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: none
Indexed PoC 1 indexed, none at 5+ stars
EPSS 0.33% chance in 30 days

1 of these are GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars. They are listed for reference and don't count toward the exploitation status above.

Index	Artifact	Stars	First seen
GitHub PoC	Reproducer for CVE-2026-40048: Apache Camel camel-pqc FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager unsafe deserialization (RCE)		2026-07-08

Index

Artifact

Stars

First seen

GitHub PoC

Reproducer for CVE-2026-40048: Apache Camel camel-pqc FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager unsafe deserialization (RCE)

2026-07-08

Waratek protection

Protected by Waratek

Waratek has a rule that blocks attacks on this vulnerability.

Protection full Deserialization, Process
Action available security rule
Review automated Inferred
Record active

Decided by	A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule
Finding	Protected by Waratek's ARMR deserialization security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's weakness is CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Candidate fix	https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2463176 : a Red Hat bug: the triage, which links onward to the fix

Decided by

A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

Finding

Protected by Waratek's ARMR deserialization security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's weakness is CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.

Candidate fix

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2463176 : a Red Hat bug: the triage, which links onward to the fix

How to mitigate CVE-2026-40048

Upgrade Apache Camel to a release that fixes it: 4.18.2 or 4.20.0. Until you can, Waratek RASP blocks exploitation with its deserialization and process rules. It runs inside the Java application, with no code changes.

Waratek RASP Runtime protection for Java applications

CVSS

7.8 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 2 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 7.8 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H CISA-ADP Secondary published

CVSS 3.1 7.8 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H redhat-SADP Secondary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	7.8	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	CISA-ADP	Secondary	published
CVSS 3.1	7.8	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	redhat-SADP	Secondary

Affected software and releases

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.apache.camel:camel-pqc 0 4.18.2 unbounded

org.apache.camel:camel-pqc 4.19.0 4.20.0 unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.apache.camel:camel-pqc`	0	`4.18.2`	unbounded
`org.apache.camel:camel-pqc`	4.19.0	`4.20.0`	unbounded

Products and versions

2 products, 4 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	apache	camel	generic	≥ 4.18.0 and ＜ 4.18.2 · 4.19.0
osv	org.apache.camel	camel-pqc	generic	＜ 4.18.2 · ≥ 4.19.0 and ＜ 4.20.0

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

apache

camel

generic

≥ 4.18.0 and ＜ 4.18.2 · 4.19.0

osv

org.apache.camel

camel-pqc

generic

＜ 4.18.2 · ≥ 4.19.0 and ＜ 4.20.0

References

URL	Tags
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2463176	bugzilla
https://github.com/apache/camel/pull/22034	WEB
https://github.com/apache/camel/pull/22495	WEB
https://github.com/apache/camel/commit/5bdd0f1d3289dfa78116deec6c81083708bf432d	WEB
https://github.com/apache/camel/commit/5f87a86f4e337efc59248d278c6a5650e73b3b7c	WEB
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-40048	WEB
https://camel.apache.org/security/CVE-2026-40048.html	WEB
https://github.com/apache/camel	PACKAGE
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CAMEL-23200	WEB
https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-40048.json	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2026-04-27	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-10-26	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2026-04-27

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-10-26

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

How VRT decided (17 of 24 rules ran)

17 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification no match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no match The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side no match Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven matched In scope Maven packages: org.apache.camel:camel-pqc

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint matched Mitigation candidate References include candidate fix URL (bugzilla tier): https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2463176

18 open-source-maven skipped The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable skipped An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit skipped Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match decided it matched Protected by Waratek CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data) is mitigable by an ARMR deserialization security rule.

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc skipped Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold skipped Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published skipped Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

Products the scope rules checked

The products this CVE's record names, and whether VRT tracks each one. The scope rules decided on these.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

apache camel tracked cpe:2.3:a:apache:camel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

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