Vulnerability · Published Apr 27, 2026 · Assigned by apache
CVE-2026-40048Apache Camel PQC: Unsafe Deserialization from FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager
High 7.8
In plain English
A high-severity unsafe deserialization in Apache Camel PQC from Apache Software Foundation. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.3% (higher than 26% of all known vulnerabilities). Ready-made attack tooling exists: public proof-of-concept code. Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official 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.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maven | org.apache.camel:camel-pqc | 4.18.2 | GHSA-v3vg-332r-mw99 |
| Maven | org.apache.camel:camel-pqc | 4.20.0 | GHSA-v3vg-332r-mw99 |
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Software Foundation | Apache Camel PQC | 4.19.0 – before 4.20.04.18.0 – before 4.18.2 |
Weakness: CWE-502 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- https://camel.apache.org/security/CVE-2026-40048.html vendor-advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/04/26/6
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-40048 vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2463176 issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-40048.json x_sadp-csaf-vex