CVE-2026-85532

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Apache WSS4J Derived-Key Length Validation Flaw

Publication date: 2026-09-30

Last updated on: 2026-10-02

Assigner: Apache Software Foundation

Description

Apache WSS4J accepted attacker-controlled derived-key lengths and offsets without adequate bounds. This could permit cryptographically weak keys or excessive CPU and memory consumption when processing crafted WS-Security messages. The fixes enforce a minimum key length of 16 bytes, a maximum length of 512 bytes, and a maximum offset of 4096 bytes. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.0.2 or 3.0.6 or 2.4.4, which fix this issue.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-09-30

Last Modified

2026-10-02

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-09-30

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-85532

EUVD

EUVD-2026-89791

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
apache	wss4j	to 2.4.4 (exc)
apache	wss4j	From 3.0.0 (inc) to 3.0.6 (exc)
apache	wss4j	From 4.0.0 (inc) to 4.0.2 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-20	The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

Apache WSS4J accepted attacker-controlled derived-key lengths and offsets without proper validation. This could allow weak cryptographic keys or cause excessive CPU and memory usage when processing specially crafted WS-Security messages. The issue was fixed by enforcing minimum and maximum key lengths and offsets.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check the version of Apache WSS4J in use. Compare it against the patched versions (4.0.2, 3.0.6, or 2.4.4). Use commands like 'mvn dependency:tree' for Maven projects or 'gradle dependencies' for Gradle projects to inspect the library version.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to create weak encryption keys, potentially decrypting sensitive data. It could also cause denial-of-service by consuming excessive system resources when processing malicious messages.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access or disclosure, violating GDPR's data protection requirements or HIPAA's security rules for protected health information. Weak encryption may fail compliance checks for data integrity and confidentiality.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Apache WSS4J to a fixed version: 4.0.2 or later, 3.0.6 or later, or 2.4.4 or later. This addresses the derived-key length and offset validation issues.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-85532. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70