# CVE-2026-59230: Apache Camel-Mail: the MimeMultipart data format copied MIME headers onto the Camel message without a header filter strategy when unmarshalling with headersInline enabled

> Attackers can inject internal Camel headers via MIME messages when headersInline is enabled, potentially redirecting downstream route actions like SQL execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 25 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cx47-qxp5-mmh2

## What is CVE-2026-59230?

CVE-2026-59230 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Camel, published on 24 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Improper input validation vulnerability in Apache Camel.

This issue affects Apache Camel: from 2.17.0 before 4.14.9, from 4.15.0 before 4.18.4, from 4.19.0 before 4.22.0.

The camel-mail component ships a MimeMultipart data format that can unmarshal a MIME multipart message. When it is configured with headersInline set to true, the unmarshal path copies the MIME headers of the incoming message onto the Camel message: it enumerates every header that is not one of the three standard ones it generates itself - Message-ID, MIME-Version and Content-Type - and calls setHeader for each, applying no HeaderFilterStrategy. The names of those MIME headers come from the message being unmarshalled, so a sender able to influence the message could place a header whose name falls in the Camel-internal namespace and have it set on the Exchange. Camel components read control headers from that namespace to override their configured behaviour - the camel-sql producer, for instance, takes the statement to execute from a Camel header when one is present - so an injected header could redirect what a downstream step in the route does with data the route author never intended it to take from the message. Which sinks are reachable, and what the consequences are, depends entirely on what the route does after the unmarshal step. The camel-mail consumer already applied a header filter strategy on its own inbound path, so this was the parallel inbound path into the same component that the earlier hardening did not cover. The affected copy is reached only when headersInline is enabled, which is not the default: with the default setting the MIME headers are surfaced as attachments rather than as message headers, and are not affected. The behaviour dates back to the introduction of the data format in 2.17.0 and was present on every release line until this fix.

Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.22.0, which fixes the issue. If users are on the 4.14.x LTS releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.14.9. If users are on the 4.18.x releases stream, then they are suggested to upgrade to 4.18.4. For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, leave headersInline at its default of false where the inline headers are not needed, since the copy is only reached when it is enabled. Where it must stay enabled, strip Camel-internal headers immediately after the unmarshal step, for example with removeHeaders(“Camel*”) placed before any processor or producer that reads control headers, and do not unmarshal MIME content from an untrusted sender into a route that dispatches on header values. As defence in depth, treat the header names of any MIME message arriving from outside the trust boundary as untrusted input.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-59230?

6 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.camel:camel-mail. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.apache.camel:camel-mail` | Maven | From 2.17.0 | 4.14.9 |
| `org.apache.camel:camel-mail` | Maven | From 2.17.0 | 4.14.9 |
| `org.apache.camel:camel-mail` | Maven | From 4.15.0 | 4.18.4 |
| `org.apache.camel:camel-mail` | Maven | From 4.15.0 | 4.18.4 |
| `org.apache.camel:camel-mail` | Maven | From 4.19.0 | 4.22.0 |
| `org.apache.camel:camel-mail` | Maven | From 4.19.0 | 4.22.0 |

Products: Apache Camel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-59230?

Upgrade org.apache.camel:camel-mail to a fixed version for your release line: 4.14.9, 4.18.4 or 4.22.0.

## Is CVE-2026-59230 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-59230 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Reproducer for CVE-2026-59230 (Apache Camel camel-mail MimeMultipart headersInline header injection) — Camel Spring Boot + Camel Quarkus (github_poc): https://github.com/oscerd/CVE-2026-59230

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Camel

- [CVE-2026-33453](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33453/): Apache camel-coap allows header injection that can lead to remote code execution (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-40453](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40453/): Apache Camel has an incomplete fix for CVE-2025-27636 (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2026-80351](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-80351/): Apache Camel K: Camel K Tenant repositories reach Maven execution inside operator pod (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-80352](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-80352/): Apache Camel K: Camel K Master trait serviceAccountName YAML injection lets CR author apply arbitrary objects (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-71300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-71300/): Apache Camel: Camel-Atmosphere-Websocket: WebSocket dispatch header injection (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-59230 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-59230 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Camel, published on 24 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-59230 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven): affected from 2.17.0; fixed in 4.14.9
- org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven): affected from 2.17.0; fixed in 4.14.9
- org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven): affected from 4.15.0; fixed in 4.18.4
- org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven): affected from 4.15.0; fixed in 4.18.4
- org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven): affected from 4.19.0; fixed in 4.22.0
- org.apache.camel:camel-mail (Maven): affected from 4.19.0; fixed in 4.22.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-59230/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-59230/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-59230
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59230
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-59230

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-59230/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.