CVE-2026-42403

CVE-2026-42403 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Neethi with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-400.

Key facts

Description

Apache Neethi does not properly detect circular references in policy definitions. When a WS-Policy document contains circular policy references (where Policy A references Policy B which references Policy A), the policy normalization process can enter an infinite loop or cause excessive recursion, leading to a stack overflow or application hang. An attacker can craft malicious policy documents with circular references to cause a Denial of Service condition Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.2.2, which fixes this issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-42403?
Apache Neethi does not properly detect circular references in policy definitions. When a WS-Policy document contains circular policy references (where Policy A references Policy B which references Policy A), the policy normalization process can enter an infinite loop or cause excessive recursion, leading to a stack overflow or application hang. An attacker can craft malicious policy documents with circular references to cause a Denial of Service condition Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.2.2, which fixes this issue.
How severe is CVE-2026-42403?
CVE-2026-42403 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-42403 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (51st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-42403?
CVE-2026-42403 affects Apache Neethi. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42403?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-42403 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-42403 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-26486.
When was CVE-2026-42403 published?
CVE-2026-42403 was published on 2026-05-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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