Apache Camel-Kafka: The kafka.OVERRIDE_TOPIC (and other kafka.*) Exchange header constants used non-Camel-prefixed names that bypass the upstream HTTP header filter

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

5.3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2026-49098: 0.61% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 49.19 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Improper Input Validation, Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') vulnerability in Apache Camel Kafka Component. The camel-kafka producer can override its configured target topic at runtime from the kafka.OVERRIDETOPIC Exchange header: KafkaProducer.evaluateTopic() returns the header value in preference to the topic configured on the endpoint. The control-header constants in KafkaConstants (for example OVERRIDETOPIC = kafka.OVERRIDETOPIC, OVERRIDETIMESTAMP = kafka.OVERRIDETIMESTAMP, PARTITIONKEY = kafka.PARTITIONKEY) used plain, non-Camel-prefixed values. camel-kafka's own KafkaHeaderFilterStrategy does filter the kafka. namespace, but only on the Kafka-to-Exchange serialization boundary (reading Kafka record headers into the Exchange, and writing Exchange headers into a Kafka record); it does not apply to headers that arrive from an upstream consumer in a multi-component route. The upstream HTTP consumer uses…

Published by the source

6 Jul 2026, 09:30 UTC

Last modified by the source

28 Aug 2026, 20:14 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 16:55 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-mm84-qvjh-hcj7

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-49098

Advisory: Apache Camel-Kafka: The kafka.OVERRIDE_TOPIC (and other kafka.*) Exchange header constants used non-Camel-prefixed names that bypass the upstream HTTP header filter
IDs: CVE-2026-49098, GHSA-mm84-qvjh-hcj7
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-49098 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:55 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: org.apache.camel:camel-kafka 4.21.0, 4.18.3, 4.14.8. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Maven org.apache.camel:camel-kafka: affected >= 4.0.0, < 4.14.8; >= 4.15.0, < 4.18.3; >= 4.19.0, < 4.21.0; fixed in 4.21.0, 4.14.8, 4.18.3

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Maven org.apache.camel:camel-kafka: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on org.apache.camel:camel-kafka.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-mm84-qvjh-hcj7 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-mm84-qvjh-hcj7 lists affected ranges: Maven org.apache.camel:camel-kafka >=4.0.0 =4.15.0 =4.19.0 <4.21.0)

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