Apache Camel: Camel-Shiro Authentication Bypass via Skipped Credential Verification on Subject Reuse
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-84181 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | apache |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-10-19 11:17:22 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-10-19 20:45:51 UTC |
| Description | Improper Authentication vulnerability in Apache Camel Shiro component. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.0.0 before 4.18.5, from 4.19.0 before 4.22.1. The Shiro security processor skipped credential verification when the subject already bound to the current thread carried the same principal as the incoming exchange. Because the thread that carries a Camel exchange is drawn from a pool and reused across exchanges, a subject left bound by an earlier authenticated exchange could satisfy the check for a later one that presented no valid credentials of its own. The password on the incoming exchange was, in that case, never verified. The condition depends on thread reuse and on the principal matching, which is why it is not reached on every request, but it requires nothing of the attacker beyond sending a request naming a principal that is in active use. Upgrade to Apache Camel 4.23.0, which fixes the issue. Users on the 4.18.x LTS releases stream should upgrade to 4.18.5. Users on the 4.22.x LTS releases stream should upgrade to 4.22.1. The processor now verifies the presented credentials on every exchange rather than accepting a subject already bound to the thread. Setting alwaysReauthenticate=false restores the previous behaviour for deployments that depend on it. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, ensure the Shiro subject is cleared from the thread at the end of every exchange so that no subject can be inherited by a later one. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 5.9 MEDIUM from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Problem Types: CWE-287 | CWE-287 CWE-287 Improper Authentication
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 5.9 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 5.9 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Apache Software Foundation | Apache Camel | affected 4.0.0 4.18.5 maven | Not specified |
| CNA | Apache Software Foundation | Apache Camel | affected 4.19.0 4.22.1 maven | Not specified |
| CNA | Apache Software Foundation | Apache Camel | unaffected 4.18.5 maven | Not specified |
| CNA | Apache Software Foundation | Apache Camel | unaffected 4.22.1 maven | Not specified |
| CNA | Apache Software Foundation | Apache Camel | unaffected 4.23.0 maven | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CAMEL-24439 | [email protected] | issues.apache.org | |
| camel.apache.org/security/CVE-2026-84181.html | [email protected] | camel.apache.org | |
| github.com/apache/camel/pull/25822 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/apache/camel/pull/25944 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/apache/camel/pull/25946 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: Claude Security (en)
CNA: Andrea Cosentino (en)
Additional Advisory Data
Solutions
CNA: Upgrade to Apache Camel 4.23.0, which fixes the issue. Users on the 4.18.x LTS releases stream should upgrade to 4.18.5. Users on the 4.22.x LTS releases stream should upgrade to 4.22.1. The processor now verifies the presented credentials on every exchange rather than accepting a subject already bound to the thread. Setting alwaysReauthenticate=false restores the previous behaviour for deployments that depend on it.
Workarounds
CNA: For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, ensure the Shiro subject is cleared from the thread at the end of every exchange so that no subject can be inherited by a later one.