Unsafe deserialization in Apache Camel Camel-PQC FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager
CVE-2026-40048 is an unsafe deserialization vulnerability in the Camel-PQC component of Apache Camel, specifically in the FileBasedKeyLifecycleManager class. The vulnerable code deserializes <keyId>.key files from the configured key directory using java.io.ObjectInputStream without applying ObjectInputFilter controls or class-loading restrictions. Because the returned object is only cast to java.security.KeyPair after readObject() completes, attacker-controlled readObject() side effects can execute before any type validation occurs. If an attacker can place a crafted serialized Java object in the configured key directory, deserialization during normal key lifecycle operations can trigger arbitrary code execution in the application context. The issue affects Apache Camel versions 4.19.0 before 4.20.0 and 4.18.0 before 4.18.2.
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Impact, mitigation & remediation
What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
Impact
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
Mitigation
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
<keyId>.key files. Restrict who and what can modify the directory contents, monitor for unexpected serialized object files, and isolate the application process to reduce impact if exploitation occurs. However, these are compensating controls only; the primary mitigation is to upgrade to a fixed version.Remediation
Patch, then assume compromise.
ObjectInputStream-based key and metadata storage and replaces it with standard PKCS#8 for private keys and X.509 SubjectPublicKeyInfo for public keys, encoded as Base64 JSON. Users on the 4.18.x LTS stream should upgrade to 4.18.2; other affected users should upgrade to 4.20.0 or later.Exploits
No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.
No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.
Affected products & vendors
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
Recent activity
6 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
The version that knows your environment.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.