CVE-2026-40048 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in org.apache.camel:camel-pqc. A fix is available for org.apache.camel:camel-pqc — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache Camel PQC: Unsafe Deserialization from FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-40048.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.camel:camel-pqc☕org.apache.camel:camel-pqcReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
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.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.camel:camel-pqc | all versions | 4.18.2org.apache.camel:camel-pqc:4.18.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.camel:camel-pqc | ≥ 4.19.0&&< 4.20.0 | 4.20.0org.apache.camel:camel-pqc:4.20.0 |
Affected Products
camelapacheDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.camel:camel-pqc, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.camel:camel-pqc to 4.18.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-40048 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Do not deserialise data from untrusted sources: where the format allows it, restrict deserialisation to an explicit allowlist of expected types, and prefer a data-only format (JSON, Protobuf) over one that can reconstruct arbitrary objects until you can upgrade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-40048 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.