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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-40048: Apache Camel PQC · Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Affects Apache Camel PQCSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High : upgrade to 4.20.0 or 4.18.2 soon.

Data as of 29 Oct 2026, 19:04 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 25% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 4.20.0, 4.18.2
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 27 Apr 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponized: evidence found.

    Public exploit code: GitHub proofs of concept

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), GitHub proofs of concept, the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade Apache to 4.20.0 or 4.18.2.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Apache Software FoundationApache Camel PQCAffected
  • >=4.19.0 <4.20.0
Fixed in
  • 4.20.0
Apache Software FoundationApache Camel PQCAffected
  • >=4.18.0 <4.18.2
Fixed in
  • 4.18.2
Mavenorg.apache.camel/camel-pqcpkg:maven/org.apache.camel/camel-pqcOther threatsAffected
  • =4.18.0
  • =4.19.0
Fixed in–
MavenApache Software Foundation/org.apache.camel:camel-pqcpkg:maven/Apache Software Foundation/org.apache.camel:camel-pqcOther threatsAffected
  • >=4.19.0 <4.20.0
  • >=4.18.0 <4.18.2
Fixed in
  • 4.20.0
  • 4.18.2

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A fix is available. Users should upgrade Apache Camel PQC to version 4.20.0 or, if using the 4.18.x LTS stream, to version 4.18.2. These versions replace the insecure deserialization mechanism with secure Base64 JSON encoding of keys, eliminating the vulnerability. Until upgraded, ensure that the key directory is protected against unauthorized write access to prevent exploitation. Check the vendor advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-40048 for additional guidance.

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.

References

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