`CVE-2026-46590` Apache Camel

Affected software	Apache Camel
Severity	8.8 High CVSS 3.1
Fixed in	`4.18.3`, `4.21.0`
Weakness	Deserialization of untrusted data (CWE-502)
Published	6 Jul 2026
Updated	25 Oct 2026

Description

Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Apache Camel PQC component. The camel-pqc component persists post-quantum key metadata (KeyMetadata) through pluggable KeyLifecycleManager implementations. HashicorpVaultKeyLifecycleManager and AwsSecretsManagerKeyLifecycleManager read that metadata back from the configured secret backend by deserializing a Base64-wrapped value with a raw java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject() and no ObjectInputFilter or class allow-list; the cast to KeyMetadata happens only after readObject() returns, so any readObject() side effects in a crafted object run before the type check. The same unfiltered legacy-migration read also remained in FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager (for the stored KeyPair and KeyMetadata). A principal who can write to the operator-controlled backend that holds these values - the HashiCorp Vault KV path, or the AWS Secrets Manager secret (requiring a Vault token or secretsmanager:PutSecretValue) - could store a crafted serialized object that is deserialized during normal key-lifecycle operations, potentially leading to code execution in the context of the application that manages the keys. This is an incomplete-remediation follow-on to CVE-2026-40048 (CAMEL-23200), which changed FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager to store metadata as JSON / PKCS#8 / X.509 but did not add an ObjectInputFilter, did not cover the Vault and AWS sibling managers, and left FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager's own legacy-migration deserialization unfiltered. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.18.0 before 4.18.3, from 4.19.0 before 4.21.0. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.21.0, which fixes the issue. If users are on the 4.18.x LTS releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.18.3. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, restrict write access to the key backend so that only the application's own identity can write the camel-pqc secrets (least-privilege HashiCorp Vault policies and secretsmanager:PutSecretValue IAM), and keep the PQC key material in a backend separate from any data that less-trusted principals can write.

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 0.84% 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-2026-46590: Apache Camel camel-pqc key-lifecycle unsafe deserialization (FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager legacy .key migration via ObjectInputStream), incomplete remediation of CVE-2026-40048 (fixed in 4.18.3/4.21.0)		2026-07-15

Index

Artifact

Stars

First seen

GitHub PoC

Reproducer for CVE-2026-46590: Apache Camel camel-pqc key-lifecycle unsafe deserialization (FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager legacy .key migration via ObjectInputStream), incomplete remediation of CVE-2026-40048 (fixed in 4.18.3/4.21.0)

2026-07-15

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.

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.

How to mitigate CVE-2026-46590

Upgrade Apache Camel to a release that fixes it: 4.18.3 or 4.21.0. 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

Affected software and releases

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.apache.camel:camel-pqc 4.18.0 4.18.3 unbounded

org.apache.camel:camel-pqc 4.19.0 4.21.0 unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.apache.camel:camel-pqc`	4.18.0	`4.18.3`	unbounded
`org.apache.camel:camel-pqc`	4.19.0	`4.21.0`	unbounded

Products and versions

2 products, 4 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	apache	camel	generic	≥ 4.18.0 and ＜ 4.18.3 · ≥ 4.19.0 and ＜ 4.21.0
osv	org.apache.camel	camel-pqc	generic	≥ 4.18.0 and ＜ 4.18.3 · ≥ 4.19.0 and ＜ 4.21.0

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

apache

camel

generic

≥ 4.18.0 and ＜ 4.18.3 · ≥ 4.19.0 and ＜ 4.21.0

osv

org.apache.camel

camel-pqc

generic

≥ 4.18.0 and ＜ 4.18.3 · ≥ 4.19.0 and ＜ 4.21.0

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/apache/camel/pull/23912	WEB
https://github.com/apache/camel/pull/23914	WEB
https://github.com/apache/camel/commit/12a9ac3c94d6fda12d16b2c0039db41c6204727e	WEB
https://github.com/apache/camel/commit/feea08e7847f35dc0e177652b0b02bd45f6c1b4f	WEB
https://camel.apache.org/security/CVE-2026-46590.html	WEB
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-v3vg-332r-mw99	ADVISORY
https://github.com/apache/camel	PACKAGE
https://github.com/apache/camel/releases/tag/camel-4.18.3	WEB
https://github.com/apache/camel/releases/tag/camel-4.21.0	WEB
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CAMEL-23726	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2026-07-06	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-10-25	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2026-07-06

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-10-25

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 no match A reference pointing at the upstream fix: a commit, a PR, a Red Hat bug

18 open-source-maven matched Mitigation candidate Open-source Maven artifact indexed by OSV (Maven packages: org.apache.camel:camel-pqc). The source is public, which makes an ARMR patch rule a candidate; nothing here establishes that one can be written.

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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