CVE-2026-33454: Apache Camel header injection in Camel-Mail component

CVE-2026-33454 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.4 · Published 2026-04-27

Apache Camel is a popular integration framework used to connect different software applications. A vulnerability in its email-handling component allows attackers to send specially crafted emails that inject hidden commands into the system. This can allow an attacker to manipulate how the application processes data, potentially leading to unauthorized data access or execution of unintended actions.

Technologies: org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven), Red Hat build of Apache Camel for Quarkus, Red Hat build of Apache Camel for Spring Boot. Vendors: Maven, Red Hat.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-33454 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-33454 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-33454?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.4, published 27 April 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=3.0.0,fixed=4.14.6.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-33454?
Yes. org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven): upgrade to 4.14.6 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-33454 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-33454?
Check whether you run org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven), Red Hat build of Apache Camel for Quarkus or Red Hat build of Apache Camel for Spring Boot at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven): upgrade to 4.14.6 or later
    # set org.apache.camel:camel-mail to 4.14.6 in your pom.xml or build.gradle

Technical details

The Camel-Mail component (camel-mail) is vulnerable to message header injection due to improper configuration in the MailHeaderFilterStrategy class. While the component filters outgoing headers, it fails to invoke setInFilterStartsWith for incoming messages (IMAP/POP3). This allows an attacker to deliver an email containing Camel-prefixed MIME headers that are mapped unfiltered into the Camel Exchange. Downstream components such as camel-bean, camel-exec, or camel-sql may then interpret these injected headers, leading to altered route behavior or remote code execution. This follows a similar pattern to previous header injection vulnerabilities in camel-undertow and other components. Fixes are available in versions 4.14.6, 4.18.1, and 4.19.0.

Affected products

  • Apache Camel 3.0.0 before 4.14.6, 4.15.0 before 4.18.1
  • Red Hat Red Hat Build of Apache Camel 4.14 for Quarkus 3.27
  • Red Hat Red Hat build of Apache Camel 4.18.1 for Spring Boot 3.5.14

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-33454
  • GHSA-2vqf-x7g4-7c2g

Timeline

  • 2026-04-27: advisory: Initial publication of CVE-2026-33454
  • 2026-05-14: patched: Red Hat release of patched Camel for Spring Boot

References

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