CVE-2026-88789 — Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in the XSLT support extension…
Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in the XSLT support extension (camel-quarkus-support-xalan) in Apache Camel Quarkus from 3.2.0 before 3.33.3 and from 3.34.0 before 3.40.0 on all platforms allows an attacker who supplies the XML document being transformed to read local files or issue requests to internal network locations via an external entity declaration in that document. The extension supplies its own Xalan-backed TransformerFactory to the xslt component and registers it as the JAXP default. Xalan-J 2.7.x predates JAXP 1.5 and does not honour javax.xml.XMLConstants.ACCESS_EXTERNAL_DTD or ACCESS_EXTERNAL_STYLESHEET, so the external access restrictions Apache Camel applies to the TransformerFactory it creates were not in effect. On the xslt component path this affects message bodies that reach the transformer already as a javax.xml.transform.Source; bodies of other types are converted to a SAXSource by Apache Camel with external entities and external DTD loading disabled, and are not affected. Because the factory is also the JAXP default, other code in the application obtaining one through TransformerFactory.newInstance() loses the same restrictions without error. Applications are affected if they use any of camel-quarkus-xslt, camel-quarkus-xslt-saxon, camel-quarkus-tika or camel-quarkus-xmlsecurity, each of which brings the XSLT support extension onto the classpath. For all but camel-quarkus-xslt, the exposure is limited to the JAXP default factory, since those extensions do not perform XSLT transformations themselves. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.33.3 or 3.40.0, which fixes this issue.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Affected products have not been identified by the sources yet: follow the vendor advisory and map candidate assets by component name.
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (injection), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Affected products not yet identified by the sources.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.6 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 4.0 | security@apache.org via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: security@apache.org) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Look for parameters with command/query metacharacters and unexpected child processes of the service.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 8.6
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
5 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No FIRST EPSS score.
- No affected product/version with evidence in the sources.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-88789 is "Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in the XSLT support extension…", rated High. Affected products have not been identified by the sources yet. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.6 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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