CVE-2026-33453: Apache camel-coap allows header injection that can lead to remote code execution

Should you act?

Normal patch cycle

No exploitation signal; fix it in your next routine update if you are affected. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
• EPSS 7.2%, percentile 94: FIRST’s model estimates a 7.2% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 94% of all scored CVEs (elevated). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes org.apache.camel:camel-coap (Maven) >= 4.14.0, <= 4.14.5, fixed in 4.14.6; org.apache.camel:camel-coap (Maven) >= 4.18.0, < 4.18.1, fixed in 4.18.1. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes vulnerability in Apache Camel Camel-Coap component. Apache Camel's camel-coap component is vulnerable to Camel message header injection, leading to remote code execution when routes forward CoAP requests to header-sensitive producers (e.g. camel-exec) The camel-coap component maps incoming CoAP request URI query parameters directly into Camel Exchange In message headers without applying any HeaderFilterStrategy. Specifically, CamelCoapResource.handleRequest() iterates over OptionSet.getUriQuery() and calls camelExchange.getIn().setHeader(...) for every query parameter. CoAPEndpoint extends DefaultEndpoint rather than DefaultHeaderFilterStrategyEndpoint, and CoAPComponent does not implement HeaderFilterStrategyComponent; the component contains no references to HeaderFilterStrategy at all. As a result, an unauthenticated attacker who can send a single CoAP UDP packet to a Camel route consuming from coap:// can inject arbitrary Camel internal headers (those prefixed with Camel) into the Exchange. When the route delivers the message to a header-sensitive producer such as camel-exec, camel-sql, camel-bean, camel-file, or template components (camel-freemarker, camel-velocity), the injected headers can alter the producer's behavior. In the case of camel-exec, the CamelExecCommandExecutable and CamelExecCommandArgs headers override the executable and arguments configured on the endpoint, resulting in arbitrary OS command execution under the privileges of the Camel process. The producer's output is written back to the Exchange body and returned in the CoAP response payload by CamelCoapResource, giving the attacker an interactive RCE channel without any need for out-of-band exfiltration. Exploitation prerequisites are minimal: a single unauthenticated UDP datagram to the CoAP port (default 5683). CoAP (RFC 7252) has no built-in authentication, and DTLS is optional and disabled by default. Because the protocol is UDP-based, HTTP-layer WAF/IDS controls do not apply. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.14.0 through 4.14.5, from 4.18.0 before 4.18.1, 4.19.0. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.18.1 or…

From the GitHub advisory

Apache Camel's camel-coap component is vulnerable to header injection because it maps CoAP request URI query parameters directly into Camel message headers without applying a HeaderFilterStrategy. An unauthenticated attacker can send a crafted CoAP request to inject arbitrary Camel internal headers into the exchange.

When a vulnerable route forwards that exchange to a header-sensitive downstream producer, the attacker may be able to control producer behavior. For example, in routes using camel-exec, injected headers can override the configured executable and arguments, which can result in arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the Camel process. Command output may be returned to the attacker in the CoAP response.

This issue affects org.apache.camel:camel-coap from 4.14.0 through 4.14.5 and from 4.18.0 before 4.18.1. It is fixed in 4.14.6, 4.18.1, and 4.19.0.

Weakness type: CWE-915.

Product: org.apache.camel:camel-coap (Maven) · Assigned by: apache · Published: 2026-04-27

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: high (needs special conditions)
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact total.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 7.16% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 94.

Timeline

• 2026-04-27 — CVE record published by apache
• 2026-04-27 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-695c-x5gc-94gj published (critical)
• 2026-07-15 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vendor and project advisories, patches

1. camel.apache.org camel.apache.org
2. access.redhat.com access.redhat.com

Vulnerability records

1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-695c-x5gc-94gj github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2026-33453 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2026-33453 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. openwall.com openwall.com
2. access.redhat.com access.redhat.com
3. RHBZ#2463184 bugzilla.redhat.com
4. security.access.redhat.com security.access.redhat.com
5. github.com github.com
6. github.com github.com
7. github.com github.com
8. github.com github.com
9. github.com github.com
10. github.com github.com
11. issues.apache.org issues.apache.org

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