CVE-2026-40022: Apache Camel: Camel-Platform-HTTP-Main: Authentication Bypass on Non-Root Context Paths in camel main runtime

[Andrea Cosentino <acosentino () apache org>]

Severity: moderate 

Affected versions:

- Apache Camel (org.apache.camel:camel-platform-http-main) 4.14.1 before 4.14.6
- Apache Camel (org.apache.camel:camel-platform-http-main) 4.18.0 before 4.18.2

Description:

When authentication is enabled on the Apache Camel embedded HTTP server or embedded management server 
(camel-platform-http-main) and a non-root context path such as /api or /admin is configured via camel.server.path or 
camel.management.path, the BasicAuthenticationConfigurer and JWTAuthenticationConfigurer classes derive the 
authentication path from properties.getPath() when camel.server.authenticationPath / 
camel.management.authenticationPath is not explicitly set. Combined with the Vert.x sub-router mounting model - the 
sub-router is mounted at _path_* and the authentication handler is registered inside the sub-router at the resolved 
path - this causes the authentication handler to match only the exact configured context path, not its subpaths. 
Unauthenticated requests to subpaths such as /api/_route_ or /admin/observe/info therefore reach protected business 
routes and management endpoints without being challenged for credentials. The /observe/info endpoint can disclose 
runtime metadata such as the user, working directory, home directory, process ID, JVM and operating system information.

This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.14.1 before 4.14.6, from 4.18.0 before 4.18.2.

Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.20.0, which fixes the issue. If users are on the 4.14.x LTS releases 
stream, they are suggested to upgrade to 4.14.6. If users are on the 4.18.x LTS releases stream, they are suggested to 
upgrade to 4.18.2.

Credit:

Jihang Yu (finder)

References:

https://camel.apache.org/security/CVE-2026-40022.html
https://camel.apache.org/
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-40022