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CVE-2026-85532: CWE-20 Improper input validation in Apache Software Foundation Apache WSS4J

0
Medium
VulnerabilityCVE-2026-85532cvecve-2026-85532cwe-20
Published: 09/30/2026 (09/30/2026, 11:55:53 UTC)
Source: CVE Database V5
Vendor/Project: Apache Software Foundation
Product: Apache WSS4J

Description

Apache WSS4J accepted attacker-controlled derived-key lengths and offsets without adequate bounds. This could permit cryptographically weak keys or excessive CPU and memory consumption when processing crafted WS-Security messages. The fixes enforce a minimum key length of 16 bytes, a maximum length of 512 bytes, and a maximum offset of 4096 bytes. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.0.2 or 3.0.6 or 2.4.4, which fix this issue.

Affected software

Apache Software Foundation

Apache WSS4J

Affected versions
>=4.0.0 <4.0.2>=3.0.0 <3.0.6>=0 <2.4.4
Apache Software Foundation/org.apache.wss4j:wss4j-ws-security-common
pkg:maven/Apache Software Foundation/org.apache.wss4j:wss4j-ws-security-common
Affected versions
>=4.0.0 <4.0.2>=3.0.0 <3.0.6>=0 <2.4.4

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AI-Powered Analysis

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AILast updated: 09/30/2026, 12:27:13 UTC

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-85532 is an input validation vulnerability in Apache WSS4J where attacker-controlled derived-key lengths and offsets were accepted without adequate bounds checking. This could lead to the use of cryptographically weak keys or excessive CPU and memory usage during WS-Security message processing. The vulnerability is addressed by enforcing a minimum key length of 16 bytes, a maximum length of 512 bytes, and a maximum offset of 4096 bytes. Users are advised to upgrade to Apache WSS4J versions 4.0.2, 3.0.6, or 2.4.4 or later to remediate this issue.

Potential Impact

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause the generation of weak cryptographic keys or trigger excessive CPU and memory consumption, potentially degrading service performance or causing denial of service conditions. There is no indication of active exploitation in the wild.

Mitigation Recommendations

Upgrade Apache WSS4J to version 4.0.2, 3.0.6, or 2.4.4 or later, which include fixes enforcing proper bounds on derived-key lengths and offsets. No other mitigation is required as the issue is resolved in these versions.

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Technical Details

Data Version
5.2
Assigner Short Name
apache
Date Reserved
2026-09-04T08:53:00.776Z
State
PUBLISHED

Threat ID: 6abcfcc40df196e1a9fc0dd4

Added to database: 09/30/2026, 12:12:52 UTC

Last enriched: 09/30/2026, 12:27:13 UTC

Last updated: 09/30/2026, 13:03:41 UTC

Views: 5

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