# CVE-2026-91048: Apache Karaf JDBC shell privilege escalation to RCE

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-91048-the-jdbc-shell-command-scope-shipped-no-org-apache-karaf-command  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-29. Updated: 2026-09-29  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-91048 · Severity: info · Published 2026-09-29

Apache Karaf is a container for deploying Java applications and services. An authenticated user with only viewer-level shell access can exploit missing access control rules on JDBC shell commands to inject a malicious JDBC URL, which is then passed to a database driver. When the driver connects, it executes arbitrary code embedded in the URL parameters, effectively bypassing admin role restrictions and achieving remote code execution on the system.

Technologies: [Apache Karaf](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/karaf). Vendors: [Apache](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/apache).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-91048 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-91048 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-91048?** Informational severity, published 29 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Apache Karaf; Apache pax-jdbc-config.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-91048?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-91048 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-91048?** Check whether you run Apache Karaf or Apache Pax-Jdbc-Config. 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.

## Technical details

The jdbc:* and jms:* shell command scopes in Apache Karaf lack corresponding ACL configuration files (org.apache.karaf.command.acl.jdbc.cfg and similar). Karaf's SecuredSessionFactoryImpl treats commands with no matching ACL rule as allowed by default. An authenticated user can invoke jdbc:ds-create with a crafted JDBC URL containing code-execution parameters (e.g., H2's INIT=RUNSCRIPT); pax-jdbc-config applies no validation and reactively creates a live DataSource that triggers the payload at connection time.

## Affected products

- Apache Karaf
- Apache pax-jdbc-config

## Timeline

- 2026-09-29: disclosed

## References

- [https://lists.apache.org/thread/ph3867mxh2tft75w0o1hpn10f5mbmw32](https://lists.apache.org/thread/ph3867mxh2tft75w0o1hpn10f5mbmw32)

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- [Apache Karaf config:install command authorization bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-91085-apache-karaf-s-shell-ssh-command-security-is-enforced-by-per)
- [Apache Karaf config path traversal in ConfigRepositoryImpl](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-91012-org-apache-karaf-config-core-impl-configrepositoryimpl-update-pid)
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- [Apache Karaf unbounded Metaspace growth via ThreadLocal caching](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-92230-apache-karaf-unbounded-metaspace-growth-via-threadlocal-caching)