Unsafe deserialization in Apache Camel JGroups enables code execution
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-502.
Summary
Apache Camel from 4.0.0 before 4.18.5 and from 4.19.0 before 4.22.1 is affected. The camel-jgroups consumer Java-deserializes incoming cluster messages without an object filter, which is CWE-502. An unauthenticated attacker on an adjacent network who can reach the cluster's multicast group or bind port can send a crafted serialized object that runs code in the Camel process when a usable gadget chain is on the classpath.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Description from the CNA
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Apache Camel Camel-Jgroups component. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.0.0 before 4.18.5, from 4.19.0 before 4.22.1. JGroupsEndpoint.createExchange(Message), which CamelJGroupsReceiver calls for every message the jgroups consumer receives before the exchange is routed, set the exchange body from org.jgroups.Message.getObject(). For an ObjectMessage, which is the message type the Camel jgroups producer sends, JGroups Java-deserializes the payload through an ObjectInputStream on its own receive thread as the message arrives, and getObject() returns the resulting object. No java.io.ObjectInputFilter was applied on that path unless the deployment had set a JVM-wide serialization filter: camel-jgroups installed none, and the JGroups versions shipped with the affected releases apply none of their own, so any serializable class on the application classpath could be instantiated and its deserialization callbacks run. Unless a channel or the channelProperties option is configured, the consumer creates its channel with new JChannel(), the stock JGroups protocol stack, which multicasts over UDP without the AUTH protocol and without encryption, so any host able to reach the cluster's multicast group or bind port can join the cluster and send messages to the consumer without credentials. Such a host could send a crafted serialized object that leads to remote code execution in the Camel process when a usable deserialization gadget chain is present on the classpath, and no non-default option was required on the consumer. Because JGroups materializes the object before Camel's receiver runs, a check performed by Camel can only inspect the deserialized result and cannot stop code that runs during deserialization, so closing the issue also requires a control that applies before the payload is read, as described in the mitigation. Exploitation requires network access to the cluster's multicast group or bind port, which with the default UDP multicast transport means a host on an adjacent network, and a usable gadget chain on the classpath, which is why the severity is assessed as high rather than critical. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.23.0, which fixes the issue. If users are on the 4.22.x releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.22.1. If users are on the 4.18.x releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.18.5. The 4.14.x releases stream and earlier, and the 4.15.x to 4.17.x and 4.19.x to 4.21.x release lines, reached end of life before this issue was resolved and will not receive a fix, so deployments on those lines must move to a supported release.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
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 4.23.0, or to 4.22.1 on the 4.22.x stream or to 4.18.5 on the 4.18.x stream. Red Hat lists Red Hat Fuse 7 as affected with no fix planned. The 4.14.x releases and earlier, the 4.15.x to 4.17.x lines and the 4.19.x to 4.21.x lines are end of life and get no fix, so move those deployments to a supported release.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
- Fix · CNA Apache Camel (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 4.18.5, 4.22.1
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: Important. 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-2026-88900
- 2026-10-19 Alias added: GHSA-wqmw-6vq7-3mxp
- 2026-10-19 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-19 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-10-20 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-20 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-20 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-21 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-11-04 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
References
Patch 7
- Apache Camel Security Advisory - CVE-2026-88900
- Fix on main, released in 4.23.0 (commit 0ef94ee8feabf56a5c595c07b2c60f64a73ba14e)
- Backport to camel-4.22.x, released in 4.22.1 (commit da07367d1b6e2bb00ddb6afa5cfa08a6c0c0bd0f)
- Backport to camel-4.18.x, released in 4.18.5 (commit f988494d01145473551ca75fc11cda3e5cb49f2d)
- Follow-up start-up guard on main, released in 4.23.0 (commit d30328a49596a04add88d32ee7ed923811c58866)
- Upgrade-guide entry for 4.22.1 placed on main (commit f02cde41ea679f8a3582b639b0ddd99ab723b4f0)
- Upgrade-guide entry for 4.18.5 placed on main (commit d858054b98739eebf1a89f690558e1c54f09c45a)
Advisory 2
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-2026-88900 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-88900 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-wqmw-6vq7-3mxp · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-88900 · 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