CVE-2026-50645: Apache CXF denial of service via attachment headers

CVE-2026-50645 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-06-12

Apache CXF, a framework used to build and develop web services, contains a flaw in how it handles message attachments. An attacker can send a specially crafted message with an excessive number of attachment headers, causing the system to consume all available resources. This can lead to a denial-of-service, making the web service unavailable to legitimate users and potentially impacting business operations.

Technologies: Apache Software Foundation CXF, org.apache.cxf:cxf-core (Maven). Vendors: Apache, Apache Software Foundation, Maven.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-50645 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-50645 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-50645?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 12 June 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Apache Cxf-Core >= 4.2.0, < 4.2.2; < 4.1.7; Apache Software Foundation CXF 4.2.0 before 4.2.2, all versions before 4.1.7; org.apache.cxf:cxf-core (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=4.2.0,fixed=4.2.2.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-50645?
Yes. org.apache.cxf:cxf-core (Maven): upgrade to 4.2.2 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-50645 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-50645?
Check whether you run Apache Cxf-Core, Apache Software Foundation CXF or org.apache.cxf:cxf-core (Maven) 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.cxf:cxf-core (Maven): upgrade to 4.2.2 or later
    # set org.apache.cxf:cxf-core to 4.2.2 in your pom.xml or build.gradle

Technical details

A resource exhaustion vulnerability (CWE-400) exists in Apache CXF's core deserialization logic. The component does not impose a limit on the number of attachment headers processed per message. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by sending a message with a large number of headers, leading to uncontrolled memory or CPU consumption and a Denial of Service (DoS) condition. The issue is resolved in versions 4.2.2 and 4.1.7 by implementing a default limit of 500 attachments per message.

Affected products

  • Apache cxf-core >= 4.2.0, < 4.2.2; < 4.1.7

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-50645
  • GHSA-ghvc-7hp8-2g2v

Timeline

  • 2026-06-11: disclosed: Initial disclosure on oss-security list
  • 2026-06-12: advisory: GitHub Advisory published
  • 2026-06-12: patched: Patched versions 4.2.2 and 4.1.7 released

References

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