CVE-2026-54513 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) CWE-184 vulnerability in com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind. A fix is available for com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind — see the affected versions and patch details below.
jackson-databind: Array subtype allowlist bypass in BasicPolymorphicTypeValidator (allowIfSubTypeIsArray)
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-2026-54513.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2026-54513 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 380,066 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind☕com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind☕com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind☕tools.jackson.core:jackson-databindReal-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
BasicPolymorphicTypeValidator.Builder.allowIfSubTypeIsArray() allowlists any array type based only on clazz.isArray(), without validating the array's component (element) type against the configured allowlist. A PTV built with allowIfSubTypeIsArray() plus an explicit concrete-type allowlist therefore still permits EvilType[] even though EvilType is not allowlisted. When Jackson deserializes the elements and no per-element type IDs are present, it instantiates the component type directly with no further PTV check, bypassing the allowlist.
Impact
Applications using BasicPolymorphicTypeValidator with allowIfSubTypeIsArray() as a safeguard get no protection for concrete array component types; an attacker controlling JSON can instantiate non-allowlisted types via an array wrapper, re-opening the gadget-instantiation risk PTV is meant to prevent.
Affected / Patched (verified via git tag --contains)
- 2.18 line:
>= 2.10.0, < 2.18.8-> fixed in 2.18.8 - 2.19-2.21 line:
>= 2.19.0, < 2.21.4-> fixed in 2.21.4 - 3.x line:
>= 3.0.0, < 3.1.4-> fixed in 3.1.4
PolymorphicTypeValidator was added in 2.10.0 so vulnerability N/A for versions prior to that.
Severity / CWE
Maintainer: significant. Reporter: HIGH. CWE-184 (Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs); related CWE-502.
Upstream fix
FasterXML/jackson-databind#5981; fix PR #5983 (24529da), 2.18 backport PR #5984 (01d1692). Released 2026-06-04 in 2.18.8 / 2.21.4 / 3.1.4.
Credits
Omkhar Arasaratnam (@omkhar) - finder.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind | ≥ 2.10.0&&< 2.18.8 | 2.18.8com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:2.18.8 |
| ☕Maven | com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind | ≥ 2.19.0&&< 2.21.4 | 2.21.4com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:2.21.4 |
| ☕Maven | com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.1.4 | 3.1.4com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:3.1.4 |
| ☕Maven | tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.1.4 | 3.1.4tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind:3.1.4 |
Affected Products
jackson-databindfasterxmlDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind to 2.18.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-54513 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.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
This Important flaw in `jackson-databind` allows for a security bypass, enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation of array component types by `BasicPolymorphicTypeValidator`, which permits deserialization of unallowlisted types when processing untrusted input. This bypass…
Upgrade to version 2.18.8, 2.21.4, or 3.1.4 or later to address this vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, remove BasicPolymorphicTypeValidator.Builder.allowIfSubTypeIsArray() from the application’s ObjectMapper configuration to eliminate the affected deserialization path. Rebuild and restart the application to apply the configuration change. As an additional mitigation, disable polymorphic deserialization of untrusted data where possible by avoiding or removing default typing features such as activateDefaultTyping() or enableDefaultTyping(). When polymorphic deserialization is required, restrict allowed subtypes using a strict whitelist of trusted application packages…Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2026-54513 (CC BY 4.0)
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| AMQ Clients 2026.Q3 | jackson-databind | RHSA-2026:69459 |
| Cryostat 4 on RHEL 9 | cryostat/cryostat-reports-rhel9:4.2.0-13 | RHSA-2026:48151 |
| Red Hat AMQ Broker 7.13.6 | jackson-databind | RHSA-2026:66545 |
| Red Hat AMQ Broker 7.14.1 | jackson-databind | RHSA-2026:66488 |
| Red Hat build of Apache Camel 4.18.3 for Spring Boot 3.5.16 | jackson-databind | RHSA-2026:54622 |
| Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.4 | rhbk/keycloak-operator-bundle:26.4.14-1 | RHSA-2026:50847 |
| Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.4.14 | jackson-databind | RHSA-2026:50846 |
| Red Hat build of Keycloak 26.6 | rhbk/keycloak-operator-bundle:26.6.5-1 | RHSA-2026:50849 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-54513 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.