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Medium5.3Apache Software Foundation

Medium [CVE-2026-49098] Apache Camel: Improper Input Validation, Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component…

This medium-severity Apache Software Foundation advisory covers CVE-2026-49098 affecting Apache Camel Kafka.

CVE-2026-49098 Published Jul 6, 2026Updated by vendor Jul 8, 2026
CVE-2026-49098
Affected products & platforms
Apache Software FoundationMessagingKafka
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Summary

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.OVERRIDE_TOPIC 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 OVERRIDE_TOPIC = kafka.OVERRIDE_TOPIC, OVERRIDE_TIMESTAMP = kafka.OVERRIDE_TIMESTAMP, PARTITION_KEY = kafka.PARTITION_KEY) 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 HttpHeaderFilterStrategy, which blocks only the Camel / camel namespace, so a kafka.* header passes through unfiltered.

Affected versions
  • 4.0.0 through 4.14.8
  • 4.15.0 through 4.18.3
  • 4.19.0 through 4.21.0.

Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 2 months ago·verify at source

Fixed versions
  • 4.21.0
  • 4.14.8
  • 4.18.3

Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 2 months ago·verify at source

Mitigation checklist

Recommended fix / mitigation
  • The control-header constants in KafkaConstants (for example OVERRIDE_TOPIC = kafka.OVERRIDE_TOPIC, OVERRIDE_TIMESTAMP = kafka.OVERRIDE_TIMESTAMP, PARTITION_KEY = kafka.PARTITION_KEY) 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.
  • Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.21.0, which fixes the issue.
  • If users are on the 4.14.x LTS releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.14.8.
  • If users are on the 4.18.x releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.18.3.
  • For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, strip the kafka.* headers from any untrusted ingress before the kafka: producer (for example removeHeaders('kafka.*') at the start of the route), and set the target topic from a trusted source.

Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 2 months ago·verify at source

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