Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Remote over JMS with default mapJmsMessage and no gadget chain (AC:L, PR:N as Camel does not authenticate the message), yielding partial C/I/A via Exchange-state manipulation rather than full RCE.
Primary rating from Vendor (apache).
CVSS VectorVendor: apache
Lifecycle Timeline
6Blast Radius
ecosystem impact- 20 maven packages depend on org.apache.camel:camel-activemq (4 direct, 16 indirect)
- 19 maven packages depend on org.apache.camel:camel-amqp (3 direct, 16 indirect)
- 30 maven packages depend on org.apache.camel:camel-jms (12 direct, 18 indirect)
- 26 maven packages depend on org.apache.camel:camel-sjms (5 direct, 21 indirect)
- 22 maven packages depend on org.apache.camel:camel-sjms2 (4 direct, 18 indirect)
Ecosystem-wide dependent count for version 3.0.0 and other introduced versions.
DescriptionCVE.org
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Apache Camel, Apache Camel JMS component.
JmsBinding.extractBodyFromJms() in camel-jms - and the equivalent JmsBinding in camel-sjms - deserializes the payload of an incoming JMS ObjectMessage via jakarta.jms.ObjectMessage.getObject() whenever the mapJmsMessage option is enabled (the default) and Camel acts as a JMS consumer. The CVE-2026-40860 hardening added a post-deserialization class check that rejects classes outside the default allow-list java.;javax.;org.apache.camel.;!*. However org.apache.camel.support.DefaultExchangeHolder itself lives in the allow-listed org.apache.camel. namespace, so an ObjectMessage whose top-level object is a DefaultExchangeHolder passes the check. The receiving side then calls DefaultExchangeHolder.unmarshal() on it without requiring the transferExchange option to be enabled - an asymmetric trust boundary, since the sending side gates ObjectMessage and transferExchange handling but the receiving side did not - writing every non-null field of the holder into the Exchange: the message body, the IN and OUT headers, the exchange properties, the variables, the exchange id and the exception. An attacker who can publish an ObjectMessage to a queue or topic consumed by an affected Camel application can therefore inject arbitrary Exchange state using only universally-trusted java.lang and java.util types, with no deserialization gadget chain required, to manipulate routing and headers, exchange properties and error handling. The same handling applies to camel-sjms and camel-sjms2, and to the JMS-family components built on JmsComponent and JmsBinding: camel-amqp, camel-activemq and camel-activemq6. This is a bypass of the CVE-2026-40860 fix rather than a flaw in it. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 3.0.0 before 4.14.8, from 4.15.0 before 4.18.3, from 4.19.0 before 4.21.0; Apache Camel: from 3.0.0 before 4.14.8, from 4.15.0 before 4.18.3, from 4.19.0 before 4.21.0.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.21.0, which fixes the issue. If users are on the 4.14.x LTS releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.14.8. If users are on the 4.18.x releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.18.3. After upgrading, JMS ObjectMessage handling is disabled by default in camel-jms, camel-sjms and the JMS-family components (a new objectMessageEnabled option defaults to false at the component and endpoint level), so an incoming ObjectMessage - including a DefaultExchangeHolder payload - is no longer deserialized unless the option is explicitly enabled; only set objectMessageEnabled=true when the consumed JMS destination is fed exclusively by trusted producers. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, restrict publish access to the queues and topics consumed by Camel to trusted producers via JMS broker authorization, and do not expose JMS consumers that map ObjectMessage bodies to untrusted networks; a JMS-provider deserialization allow-list does not mitigate this specific bypass because the crafted payload uses only universally-trusted classes.
AnalysisAI
Untrusted JMS deserialization in Apache Camel's JMS-family components (camel-jms, camel-sjms, camel-sjms2, camel-amqp, camel-activemq, camel-activemq6) lets an attacker who can publish an ObjectMessage to a consumed queue or topic inject arbitrary Exchange state - body, IN/OUT headers, properties, variables, exchange id and exception - into a Camel route. It affects 3.0.0 through 4.14.7, 4.15.0 through 4.18.2, and 4.19.0 through 4.20.x when mapJmsMessage (the default) is enabled and Camel acts as a JMS consumer. This is a bypass of the earlier CVE-2026-40860 hardening, requires no gadget chain (only java.lang/java.util types), carries CVSS 7.3, and has no public exploit identified at time of analysis (EPSS 0.18%).
Technical ContextAI
The affected technology is Apache Camel's JMS integration layer, where JmsBinding.extractBodyFromJms() (and the camel-sjms equivalent) calls jakarta.jms.ObjectMessage.getObject(), performing Java deserialization of an inbound message payload - the CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data) root cause. The prior CVE-2026-40860 fix added a post-deserialization class allow-list (java.;javax.;org.apache.camel.;!*), but org.apache.camel.support.DefaultExchangeHolder resides in the allow-listed org.apache.camel. namespace, so a top-level DefaultExchangeHolder object passes the check. The receiving side then invokes DefaultExchangeHolder.unmarshal() and copies every non-null field into the Exchange, even though the transferExchange option was never enabled - an asymmetric trust boundary where the producer side gates ObjectMessage/transferExchange handling but the consumer side did not. The CPE (cpe:2.3:a:apache_software_foundation:apache_camel) confirms Apache Camel as the sole affected product, spanning all JmsComponent/JmsBinding-based components.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: upgrade to 4.21.0 on the current stream, or to 4.14.8 for the 4.14.x LTS stream, or to 4.18.3 for the 4.18.x stream (https://camel.apache.org/security/CVE-2026-43866.html). After upgrading, JMS ObjectMessage handling is disabled by default via a new objectMessageEnabled option (defaults to false at both component and endpoint level), so incoming ObjectMessage payloads - including DefaultExchangeHolder - are no longer deserialized unless you explicitly set objectMessageEnabled=true, which you should do only when the consumed destination is fed exclusively by trusted producers. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, restrict publish access to the Camel-consumed queues and topics to trusted producers using JMS broker authorization/ACLs, and do not expose ObjectMessage-mapping JMS consumers to untrusted networks; note that a JMS-provider deserialization allow-list does NOT mitigate this bypass because the crafted payload uses only universally-trusted java.lang/java.util classes. The trade-off of the broker-ACL workaround is operational overhead and the need to enumerate every legitimate producer, while disabling untrusted network exposure may break intended cross-boundary integrations.
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Same weakness CWE-502 – Deserialization of Untrusted Data
View allSame technique Deserialization
View allVendor StatusVendor
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-41855
GHSA-f755-xp6r-8q84