CVE-2026-54712: OpenTelemetry Java Instrumentation DoS in RMI context propagation

CVE-2026-54712 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.3 · Published 2026-07-01

OpenTelemetry Javaagent is a tool used to monitor the performance of Java applications. A vulnerability in how it handles remote communication (RMI) allows an attacker to send specially crafted data that consumes excessive memory. This can lead to a denial-of-service condition, making the monitored application unavailable to users.

Technologies: io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent (Maven), Opentelemetry Java Instrumentation, Opentelemetry-Javaagent. Vendors: Maven, Opentelemetry.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-54712 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-54712 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-54712?
Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.3, published 1 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent (Maven) < 2.27.0, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.27.0; Opentelemetry Java Instrumentation < 2.27.0; Opentelemetry-Javaagent < 2.27.0.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54712?
Yes. io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent (Maven): upgrade to 2.27.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-54712 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-54712?
Check whether you run io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent (Maven), Opentelemetry Java Instrumentation or Opentelemetry-Javaagent 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

  • io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent (Maven): upgrade to 2.27.0 or later
    # set io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent to 2.27.0 in your pom.xml or build.gradle

Technical details

A resource exhaustion vulnerability exists in the OpenTelemetry Javaagent's RMI (Remote Method Invocation) instrumentation. The payload reader responsible for context propagation enforces a limit on the number of context entries but fails to validate or limit the aggregate size of the strings being read from the stream. An unauthenticated remote attacker who can reach an RMI endpoint on an instrumented JVM can exploit this by sending an oversized payload. This results in excessive memory allocation during the read process, leading to a Denial of Service (DoS) via memory exhaustion. The issue is fixed in version 2.27.0.

Affected products

  • OpenTelemetry opentelemetry-javaagent < 2.27.0

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-54712
  • GHSA-fq3f-m5qm-99f5

Timeline

  • 2026-06-09: disclosed
  • 2026-07-01: advisory: NVD publication
  • 2026-07-29: advisory: GitHub Advisory published
  • 2026-07-29: patched: Version 2.27.0 released

References

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