CVE-2026-42588
HIGHCVE-2026-42588 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in org.apache.activemq:activemq-broker. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-42588 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Apache ActiveMQ Broker, Apache ActiveMQ All, Apache ActiveMQ: Remote Code Execution via Jolokia addNetworkConnector
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-2026-42588.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2026-42588 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 0 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.activemq:activemq-broker☕org.apache.activemq:activemq-broker☕org.apache.activemq:activemq-all☕org.apache.activemq:activemq-all☕org.apache.activemq:apache-activemq☕org.apache.activemq:apache-activemqReal-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
Improper Input Validation, Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') vulnerability in Apache ActiveMQ Broker, Apache ActiveMQ All, Apache ActiveMQ.
Apache ActiveMQ Classic exposes the Jolokia JMX-HTTP bridge at /api/jolokia/ on the web console. The default Jolokia access policy permits exec operations on all ActiveMQ MBeans (org.apache.activemq:*), including BrokerService.addNetworkConnector(String).
An authenticated attacker can invoke these operations with a crafted discovery URI that triggers the VM transport's brokerConfig parameter using the "masterslave:// " URL which can allow loading a Spring XML application context using ResourceXmlApplicationContext. Because Spring's ResourceXmlApplicationContext instantiates all singleton beans before the BrokerService validates the configuration, arbitrary code execution occurs on the broker's JVM through bean factory methods such as Runtime.exec(). This issue affects Apache ActiveMQ Broker: before 5.19.7, from 6.0.0 before 6.2.6; Apache ActiveMQ All: before 5.19.7, from 6.0.0 before 6.2.6; Apache ActiveMQ: before 5.19.7, from 6.0.0 before 6.2.6.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 5.19.7 or 6.2.6, which fixes the issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.activemq:activemq-broker | all versions | 5.19.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.activemq:activemq-broker | ≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.2.6 | 6.2.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.activemq:activemq-all | all versions | 5.19.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.activemq:activemq-all | ≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.2.6 | 6.2.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.activemq:apache-activemq | all versions | 5.19.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.activemq:apache-activemq | ≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.2.6 | 6.2.6 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.activemq:activemq-broker. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.apache.activemq:activemq-broker to 5.19.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-42588 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-42588 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2026-42588. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-42588 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-42588 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.