Cybersecurity professionals consider CVE-2026-88789 an immediate threat requiring urgent mitigation.
Status: Received on 01 Oct 2026, 11:17 UTC
Published on: 01 Oct 2026, 11:17 UTC
CVSS Release: version 3
security@apache.org
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVE-2026-88789: 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.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-88789 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2026-88789 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-88789, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-88789, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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