CVE-2026-54712 OpenTelemetry Javaagent RMI context propagation allows resource exhaustion
Attackers can cause denial of service via oversized RMI payloads in OpenTelemetry Java Instrumentation when RMI instrumentation is enabled.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-54712?
CVE-2026-54712 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in open-telemetry opentelemetry-java-instrumentation, published on 1 Jul 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
OpenTelemetry Java Instrumentation provides OpenTelemetry auto-instrumentation and instrumentation libraries for Java. In versions prior to 2.27.0, the RMI context propagation payload reader limits the number of context entries but does not limit the aggregate size of the strings read from the stream. An attacker who can reach an RMI endpoint on an instrumented JVM can send an oversized context propagation payload. This can cause excessive memory allocation while the JVM reads the payload, potentially leading to denial of service. The issue affects only deployments where RMI instrumentation is enabled and an RMI endpoint is network-reachable. This issue has been fixed in version 2.27.0.
Weakness: CWE-400
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-54712?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent Maven | All versions | 2.27.0 |
io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent Maven | All versions | 2.27.0 |
Products include Linuxfoundation Opentelemetry Instrumentation for Java.
How do I fix CVE-2026-54712?
Upgrade io.opentelemetry.javaagent:opentelemetry-javaagent to 2.27.0 or later.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-54712 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-54712 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in open-telemetry opentelemetry-java-instrumentation
Sources
Also known as GHSA-fq3f-m5qm-99f5.