CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-48204NVD status: Analyzed

Improper Input Validation, Improper Access Control vulnerability in Apache Camel in Camel…

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-48204 is a critical-severity improper input validation vulnerability in Apache Camel from Apache, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 4.14.8, 4.18.3, 4.21.0 as the first without the flaw, so updating Apache Camel to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.73% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 55% of scored CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update Apache Camel to 4.14.8 or 4.18.3 or 4.21.0, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Camel to 4.14.8 or 4.18.3 or 4.21.0, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Read the advisory on camel.apache.org for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  4. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
ApacheApache Camel4.0.0 up to, but not including, 4.14.8; 4.15.0 up to, but not including, 4.18.3; 4.19.0 up to, but not including, 4.21.04.14.8, 4.18.3, 4.21.0
ApacheCamel4.0.0 up to, but not including, 4.14.8; 4.15.0 up to, but not including, 4.18.3; 4.19.0 up to, but not including, 4.21.04.14.8, 4.18.3, 4.21.0

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).

Official description

Improper Input Validation, Improper Access Control vulnerability in Apache Camel in Camel Mongodb Gridfs component. The camel-mongodb-gridfs producer selects the GridFS operation to perform from the gridfs.operation Exchange header when the endpoint's operation parameter is not set - which is the default. The control-header constants (GridFsConstants.GRIDFS_OPERATION, GRIDFS_OBJECT_ID, GRIDFS_METADATA, GRIDFS_CHUNKSIZE, GRIDFS_FILE_ID_PRODUCED) were the plain strings gridfs.operation, gridfs.objectid, gridfs.metadata, gridfs.chunksize and gridfs.fileid. Because these names do not start with the Camel / camel prefix, HttpHeaderFilterStrategy - which blocks only the Camel header namespace on the HTTP boundary - let them pass from an inbound HTTP request straight into the Exchange. In a route that bridges an HTTP consumer (for example platform-http) into a mongodb-gridfs: producer with no explicit operation, any HTTP client could therefore set the gridfs.operation header to override the route's intended operation - switching, for example, a file upload to remove (deleting a file identified by the attacker-supplied gridfs.objectid), listAll (enumerating every file in the bucket) or findOne (reading a file) - and supply a gridfs.metadata value that is parsed as a MongoDB document, enabling NoSQL operator injection. No credentials are required when the bridging consumer is unauthenticated. 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. After upgrading, routes that drive GridFS operations or metadata via the raw header names must use CamelGridFsOperation / CamelGridFsObjectId / CamelGridFsMetadata / CamelGridFsChunkSize / CamelGridFsFileId instead of the gridfs.* names. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, set an explicit operation on the mongodb-gridfs: endpoint so the operation is not taken from a header, and strip the gridfs.* headers from any untrusted ingress before the producer.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Input Validation

The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Consider using language-theoretic security (LangSec) techniques that characterize inputs using a formal language and build recognizers for that language. This effectively requires parsing to be a distinct layer that effectively enforces a boundary between raw input and internal data representations, instead of allowing parser code to be scattered throughout the program, where it could be subject to errors or inconsistencies that create weaknesses.
  • Use an input validation framework such as Struts or the OWASP ESAPI Validation API. Note that using a framework does not automatically address all input validation problems; be mindful of weaknesses that could arise from misusing the framework itself (CWE-1173).
  • Understand all the potential areas where untrusted inputs can enter the product, including but not limited to: parameters or arguments, cookies, anything read from the network, environment variables, reverse DNS lookups, query results, request headers, URL components, e-mail, files, filenames, databases, and any external systems that provide data to the application. Remember that such inputs may be obtained indirectly through API calls.

More Improper Input Validation vulnerabilities (CWE-20)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Other vulnerabilities in Apache Camel

All Apache Camel vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Input Validation vulnerabilities

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