Improper input validation in Apache Camel
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · None · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-639.
Summary
Improper Input Validation, Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerability in Apache Camel ElasticSearch Rest Client. The camel-elasticsearch-rest-client component reads several Exchange headers to control its behaviour - SEARCH_QUERY (an advanced query body), OPERATION (which Elasticsearch operation to run), INDEX_NAME, INDEX_SETTINGS and ID. The string values of these header constants, defined in ElasticSearchRestClientConstant, are plain unprefixed names ('SEARCH_QUERY', 'OPERATION', 'INDEX_NAME', 'INDEX_SETTINGS', 'ID') rather than the 'Camel'-prefixed names used by every other Camel component (for example CamelSqlQuery, CamelMongoDbCriteria, CamelCqlQuery). Camel's inbound HTTP header filter, HttpHeaderFilterStrategy, blocks only header names that begin with 'Camel' or 'camel'. Because the Elasticsearch header names do not carry that prefix, they pass through the inbound filter unchanged. When a Camel route exposes an HTTP entry point (for example platform-http) in front of an elasticsearch-rest-client producer, an untrusted HTTP client can set these headers directly on its request and override the query and operation that the route author configured: reading every document in the index (SEARCH_QUERY with a match_all query), deleting documents (OPERATION set to Delete together with ID), or exfiltrating selected fields. No credentials are required and the producer reads the headers unconditionally. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.3.0 before 4.14.8, from 4.15.0 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 4.14.x LTS releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.14.8. If users are on the 4.18.x releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.18.3. The fix renames the camel-elasticsearch-rest-client Exchange header constant string values (ID, SEARCH_QUERY, INDEX_SETTINGS, INDEX_NAME, OPERATION) to carry the Camel prefix (CamelElasticsearchId, CamelElasticsearchSearchQuery, CamelElasticsearchIndexSettings, CamelElasticsearchIndexName, CamelElasticsearchOperation) so that they are blocked by the inbound HttpHeaderFilterStrategy; the Java field names are unchanged. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, strip the affected headers from untrusted inbound messages before they reach the producer (for example removeHeader('SEARCH_QUERY'), removeHeader('OPERATION'), removeHeader('INDEX_NAME'), removeHeader('INDEX_SETTINGS') and removeHeader('ID') in front of the elasticsearch-rest-client endpoint), or apply a custom HeaderFilterStrategy that blocks these names.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache | Apache Camel | 4.3.0 to before 4.14.8; 4.15.0 to before 4.18.3; 4.19.0 to before 4.21.0 | 4.14.8, 4.18.3, 4.21.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) | 4.3.0 to before 4.14.8 | 4.14.8 | Patch available | GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr |
| — | org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) | 4.15.0 to before 4.18.3 | 4.18.3 | Patch available | GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr |
| — | org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) | 4.19.0 to before 4.21.0 | 4.21.0 | Patch available | GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr |
- Apache Camel VendorApache Affected 4.3.0 to before 4.14.8; 4.15.0 to before 4.18.3; 4.19.0 to before 4.21.0 Fixed in 4.14.8, 4.18.3, 4.21.0 Patch available CNA
- org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) Vendor— Affected 4.3.0 to before 4.14.8 Fixed in 4.14.8 Patch available GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr
- org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) Vendor— Affected 4.15.0 to before 4.18.3 Fixed in 4.18.3 Patch available GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr
- org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) Vendor— Affected 4.19.0 to before 4.21.0 Fixed in 4.21.0 Patch available GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:apache:camel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.3.0 to before 4.14.8; 4.15.0 to before 4.18.3; 4.19.0 to before 4.21.0 | Vulnerable | Apache |
- cpe:2.3:a:apache:camel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.3.0 to before 4.14.8; 4.15.0 to before 4.18.3; 4.19.0 to before 4.21.0 Vulnerable ·Apache
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Apache Camel (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 4.14.8, 4.18.3, 4.21.0
- Fix · GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) Fixed in 4.14.8 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) Fixed in 4.18.3 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr org.apache.camel:camel-elasticsearch-rest-client (Maven) Fixed in 4.21.0 Advisory →
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Apache Camel 4.14.8, 4.18.3, 4.21.0
14 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 7 MEDIUM, 7 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-35614 Improper input validation in Apache CamelPriority MEDIUM 50
- TI-2026-34159 Improper input validation in Apache CamelPriority MEDIUM 50
- TI-2026-34157 Improper input validation in Apache CamelPriority MEDIUM 50
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat build of Apache Camel for Spring Boot 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-46453
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr
References
Advisory 3
Other 10
- https://github.com/apache/camel/pull/23212
- https://github.com/apache/camel/pull/23244
- https://github.com/apache/camel/commit/0a87d31c8d19f59da4a5477bde192cc258ecc5d7
- https://github.com/apache/camel/commit/81f3a625c8853d6dff5fd748a0da9dba259c4076
- https://github.com/apache/camel/commit/ff88400e3a95af16e17d553b34d3752d96496c5d
- https://github.com/apache/camel
- https://github.com/apache/camel/releases/tag/camel-4.14.8
- https://github.com/apache/camel/releases/tag/camel-4.18.3
- https://github.com/apache/camel/releases/tag/camel-4.21.0
- https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CAMEL-23508
More Apache Camel vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-76322 Unsafe deserialization in Apache Camel camel-hazelcast CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2026-18973 Apache Camel: Camel-Keycloak: Cross-Realm Token Acceptance Bypass in KeycloakSecurityPolicy CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-76339 Path traversal in Apache Camel azure-files component CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-76330 Path traversal in Apache Camel FTP consumer escapes polled directory CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2025-20435 Apache Camel: Camel Message Header Injection via Improper Filtering CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.6
- TI-2026-34899 Apache Camel: Camel-CXF Message Header Injection via Missing Inbound Filtering CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-46453 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-46453 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-rp9m-hfv5-pfvr · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-46453 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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