Header injection in Apache Camel Tika component via document metadata
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
Apache Camel from 4.0.0 before 4.18.5 and from 4.19.0 before 4.22.1 is affected. The Tika producer maps every metadata key parsed from a submitted document onto the Exchange as a header without any filtering. This is an improper input validation flaw (CWE-20). A party that supplies a crafted document chooses the metadata keys it carries, so it can set Exchange headers that the route depends on, including Camel namespace headers such as CamelFileName that downstream components use to decide where content is written.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-04
Description from the CNA
Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Apache Camel Tika component. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.0.0 before 4.18.5, from 4.19.0 before 4.22.1. The Tika producer mapped every metadata key parsed out of the submitted document onto the Exchange as a header, with no filter applied. Document metadata is attacker-controlled content: the party that supplies the file chooses the metadata keys it carries. A crafted document could therefore set Exchange headers that the rest of the route depends on, including headers in the Camel namespace such as CamelFileName, which downstream components use to decide where content is written. The pattern is the same header-injection class as the consumer advisories published previously, reached here through parsed file content rather than through a protocol header. Upgrade to Apache Camel 4.23.0, which fixes the issue. Users on the 4.18.x LTS releases stream should upgrade to 4.18.5. Users on the 4.22.x LTS releases stream should upgrade to 4.22.1. Parsed document metadata is now filtered through a HeaderFilterStrategy before it is mapped onto the Exchange. A route that was reading a metadata-derived header the filter now blocks will see it missing. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, strip the Camel namespace after the Tika producer with removeHeaders("Camel*") before any component that acts on those headers.
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
Remediation
Upgrade Apache Camel to 4.18.5 on the 4.18.x LTS stream, to 4.22.1 on the 4.22.x LTS stream, or to 4.23.0. Red Hat lists Red Hat Fuse 7 as affected with no fix planned. Deployments that cannot upgrade immediately can run removeHeaders("Camel*") after the Tika producer, before any component that acts on those headers.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-04
- Fix · CNA Apache Camel (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 4.18.5, 4.22.1, 4.23.0
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Apache Camel 4.18.5, 4.22.1
39 records Highest priority Priority HIGH 6 HIGH, 9 MEDIUM, 24 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-76322 Unsafe deserialization in Apache Camel camel-hazelcastPriority HIGH 82
- TI-2026-76339 Path traversal in Apache Camel azure-files componentPriority HIGH 74
- TI-2026-76330 Path traversal in Apache Camel FTP consumer escapes polled directoryPriority HIGH 74
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Fuse 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
Timeline
- 2026-10-19 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-85249
- 2026-10-19 Alias added: GHSA-xp25-2fp7-pffp
- 2026-10-19 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-19 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-11-04 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
- 2026-11-04 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-04 CVSS score added · Red Hat
References
Patch 5
- Apache Camel Security Advisory - CVE-2026-85249
- CAMEL-24423
- Fix on main, released in 4.23.0 (commit b6f6b4708543677a8b6032304c66cbe7f687a2fb)
- Backport to camel-4.22.x, released in 4.22.1 (commit 260989268cbc6d258b1fcba63770be8ebbec40cb)
- Backport to camel-4.18.x, released in 4.18.5 (commit af1efbcccf5882b1ef0094db718972da3190e7e9)
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-2026-85249 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-85249 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xp25-2fp7-pffp · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-85249 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences