Threat Summary
On July 6, 2026, Apache disclosed CVE-2026-43867. Fixed releases (4.21.0 on July 1 and 4.18.3 on July 3) were available prior to public advisory. CVE-2026-43867 is a vulnerability in the camel-pqc component’s AwsSecretsManagerKeyLifecycleManager. The flaw exists in the deserializeMetadata() method, which reads Base64-encoded metadata from AWS Secrets Manager and deserializes it using ObjectInputStream.readObject() without an ObjectInputFilter or class allow-list.
An attacker with write access to the key-metadata secret (e.g., via compromised IAM credentials with secretsmanager:PutSecretValue permission) could store a malicious serialized object. Normal key lifecycle operations, including getKeyMetadata, loadExistingKeys, listKeys, and rotation checks, can trigger the vulnerable deserialization path when loading the secret named //metadata. Because the cast to KeyMetadata occurs only after readObject() returns, malicious gadget side effects may execute during deserialization.
Successful exploitation can result in arbitrary code execution within the key-managing application. Practical exploitation typically depends on an applicable gadget chain being present on the application classpath, such as older commons-collections 3.x libraries used with ysoserial-style payloads.
Apache fixed the issue in Apache Camel 4.18.3 and 4.21.0 by introducing a JSON-based KeyMetadataCodec and constraining legacy deserialization with an allow-list ObjectInputFilter. At the time of writing, Arctic Wolf has not observed active exploitation, and CVE-2026-43867 is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog as of July 13, 2026. However, a public proof-of-concept (PoC) is available, increasing the likelihood of future targeting.
Vulnerability
| Vulnerability | CVSS | Vulnerability Type | Exploited? | PoC Available? |
| CVE-2026-43867 | 9.8 (CISA-ADP assessment) | Deserialization of Untrusted Data | No | Yes |
*Note: Apache rates as Medium — exploitation requires existing write access to AWS Secrets Manager.
Affected and Fixed Products/Versions
| Product | Affected Version | Fixed Version |
| Apache Camel – camel-pqc (AwsSecretsManagerKeyLifecycleManager) | 4.18.0 to before 4.18.3 | 4.18.3 |
| Apache Camel – camel-pqc (AwsSecretsManagerKeyLifecycleManager) | 4.19.0 to before 4.21.0 | 4.21.0 |
Recommendations
Arctic Wolf strongly recommends that organizations using affected Apache Camel camel-pqc versions upgrade to a fixed release as soon as possible.
- If using Apache Camel 4.18.x, upgrade camel-pqc to 18.3.
- If using Apache Camel 4.19.x or 4.20.x, upgrade camel-pqc to 21.0.
- After upgrading, verify that the JSON KeyMetadataCodec is in use and that any legacy deserialization path is constrained by an allow-list ObjectInputFilter.
- Review AWS IAM policies and ensure only the application’s IAM role can perform secretsmanager:PutSecretValue and UpdateSecretVersionStage on key-metadata secrets.
- Monitor AWS CloudTrail for PutSecretValue events targeting key-metadata secrets, especially events involving non-approved principals.
- Remove or upgrade gadget-prone libraries, such as commons-collections 3.x, where possible to reduce available exploitation paths.
Please follow your organization’s patching and testing guidelines to minimize potential operational impact.
Temporary Workarounds
No code-change workaround fully eliminates the risk. Until patching is complete, the following mitigations may reduce exposure:
- Restrict IAM access: Allow only the application’s IAM role to perform secretsmanager:PutSecretValue and UpdateSecretVersionStage on the affected key-metadata secret or secrets. Deny or omit these permissions for all other principals.
- Enable serialization filtering: Use JVM serialization filtering (JEP 290) with a strict allow-list to block deserialization of unexpected classes.
- Reduce gadget-chain exposure: Remove or upgrade vulnerable or gadget-prone dependencies where possible.
- Monitor for suspicious secret writes: Alert on CloudTrail events for PutSecretValue to metadata secret paths, such as pqc/keys/*/metadata, by non-application principals.
Limitations: Workarounds reduce exposure but do not address the root cause. Upgrading to Apache Camel 4.18.3 or 4.21.0 is the recommended remediation.
