# CVE-2026-81303: Hawtio-operator: hawtio-operator: routes/custom-host confused-deputy via spec.routehostname

> Namespace users can exploit the Hawtio operator to claim arbitrary hostnames, enabling subdomain takeover and OAuth hijacking.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mc7v-mpqr-364j

## What is CVE-2026-81303?

CVE-2026-81303 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Red Hat build of Apache Camel - HawtIO 4, published on 15 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A flaw was found in hawtio-operator. The operator holds routes/custom-host:create permission cluster-wide and writes the tenant-supplied spec.routeHostName value from the Hawtio custom resource directly into the Route spec without validation or authorization checks. A namespace edit user, who normally cannot set custom Route hostnames, can use the operator as a confused deputy to claim arbitrary externally-routable hostnames, enabling subdomain takeover and, in combination with the auto-grant OAuthClient, OAuth redirect hijack.

Weakness: CWE-441 (Unintended Proxy or Intermediary)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-81303?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-81303?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-81303 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-81303 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-81303 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-81303 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-81303 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Red Hat build of Apache Camel - HawtIO 4, published on 15 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-81303 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Red Hat build of Apache Camel - HawtIO 4. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2026-81303/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-81303/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-81303
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81303
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-81303

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-81303/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.