Critical severity · published Jul 6, 2026
CVE-2026-46454
Apache Camel: Camel-Cometd: Inbound Bayeux message headers are mapped into the Exchange without a HeaderFilterStrategy, allowing unauthenticated clients to inject Camel control headers
9.8
CVSS
0.8%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Apache Camel Cometd Component.
The camel-cometd component maps inbound Bayeux (CometD) message headers into the Camel Exchange without applying a HeaderFilterStrategy. CometdBinding.populateExchangeFromMessage copies the entire ext.CamelHeaders map supplied by the CometD client directly onto the Camel message (message.setHeaders), so any header name - including Camel-internal control headers such as CamelHttpUri, CamelFileName or CamelJmsDestinationName - is accepted unmodified. Because a CometdComponent installs no Bayeux SecurityPolicy by default, any client that can complete the Bayeux handshake against the CometD endpoint can publish such a message without authentication. An attacker can therefore inject arbitrary Camel control headers that influence the behaviour of downstream producers in the route (for example redirecting an HTTP producer, changing a file name, or overriding a JMS destination); the injected headers also persist across internal direct, seda and vm hops. The concrete downstream impact depends on which producers the route uses.
This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.0.0 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. The fix implements a HeaderFilterStrategy in the camel-cometd binding (a long-standing TODO in the code) that filters the Camel header namespace case-insensitively on inbound mapping, so client-supplied Camel* / camel* headers are no longer copied into the Exchange. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, strip the Camel control headers from inbound CometD messages before they reach any downstream producer (for example removeHeaders('Camel*') and removeHeaders('camel*') at the start of the route), and install an explicit Bayeux SecurityPolicy on the CometdComponent so that only authenticated clients can publish.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.8% · higher than 57% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
AC
Apache Camel · Apache Software Foundation
4.0.0 before 4.14.8; 4.15.0 before 4.18.3; 4.19.0 before 4.21.0 · source: vendor
CA
Camel · Apache
4.0.0 before 4.14.8; 4.15.0 before 4.18.3; 4.19.0 before 4.21.0 · source: NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46454
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46454
Mitigation
https://camel.apache.org/security/CVE-2026-46454.html
Mailing List
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/05/7
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