CVE-2026-45051 — openam-auth-webauthn
Fix: OpenIdentityPlatform/OpenAM@8b02328CVE-2026-45051 is a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-auth-webauthn. A fix is available for org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-auth-webauthn — see the affected versions and patch details below.
OpenAM Pre-auth RCE via Java Deserialization in WebAuthn Authenticator Storage
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-2026-45051.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
Real-World Exposure
org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-auth-webauthnReal-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
Summary
Description
A deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability (CWE-502) exists in OpenAM's WebAuthn authentication module. Under certain conditions, this may allow an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the application server. This affects OpenAM Community Edition through version 16.0.6 and was patched in version 16.1.1.
This is not the default configuration. Exploitation requires that an attacker has previously been able to write attacker-controlled data to a storage attribute read by the WebAuthn module, and that the WebAuthn authentication flow is reachable.
Impact
WebAuthn is a modern shipped module, but the vulnerable configuration requires either the default storage attribute to become attacker-writable, or the WebAuthn userAttribute to be set to an attacker-writable string attribute. That is not the default, but it is feasible in deployments because the product exposes the storage attribute as a free-form admin setting and does not warn or enforce that it must be server-managed and non-user-writable. This may exist through delegated administration, provisioning, write access to the backing LDAP/directory user record, legacy REST self-registration, or unsafe reconfiguration of userAttribute.
In any deployment where the attribute becomes user writable, an attacker can execute arbitrary code as the application server user.
Patch
This has been patched in OpenAM Community Edition version 16.1.1. Users are encouraged to update to the latest release.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-auth-webauthn | all versions | 16.1.1org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-auth-webauthn:16.1.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-auth-webauthn, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.openidentityplatform.openam:openam-auth-webauthn to 16.1.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-45051 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-2026-45051 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.