CVE-2026-46453
Description
A flaw was found in the camel-elasticsearch-rest-client component of Apache Camel. An untrusted HTTP client can exploit this vulnerability by sending specific, unprefixed Exchange headers directly on its request when a Camel route exposes an HTTP entry point. This improper input validation allows the client to bypass authorization and override the intended Elasticsearch query and operation. Consequently, an attacker could read or delete documents, or exfiltrate selected fields from the Elasticsearch index without requiring credentials.
Statement
Moderate: This flaw in Red Hat build of Apache Camel allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to bypass authorization and control Elasticsearch queries and operations. This is due to specific Exchange header constants in the camel-elasticsearch-rest-client component not being filtered by default when a Camel route exposes an HTTP entry point, leading to potential data exposure or modification.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, configure the Camel route to strip the vulnerable headers from untrusted inbound messages before they reach the elasticsearch-rest-client producer. This can be achieved by adding `removeHeader('SEARCH_QUERY')`, `removeHeader('OPERATION')`, `removeHeader('INDEX_NAME')`, `removeHeader('INDEX_SETTINGS')`, and `removeHeader('ID')` in front of the elasticsearch-rest-client endpoint in the Camel route. Alternatively, apply a custom `HeaderFilterStrategy` to block these specific header names.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.3 | N/A | 5.3 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | Low | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Access Control
Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism
Access control checks for specific user data or functionality can be bypassed.
Access Control
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Horizontal escalation of privilege is possible (one user can view/modify information of another user).
Access Control
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Vertical escalation of privilege is possible if the user-controlled key is actually a flag that indicates administrator status, allowing the attacker to gain administrative access.
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