CVE-2026-79986
Received Received - Intake

Path Traversal in Apache Camel Azure Files Component

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-79986, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-10-19

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: Apache Software Foundation

Description

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Apache Camel Azure Files component. This issue affects Apache Camel: from 4.0.0 before 4.18.5, from 4.19.0 before 4.22.1. The Camel remote-file consumers poll a directory on a remote server and build the absolute remote path of each file by concatenating the configured directory with the file name reported in the server's directory listing. That concatenation (FtpUtils.absoluteFilePath and GenericFileConsumer) applied no lexical normalization and no check that the result stayed inside the directory being polled, and the resulting path became the operand for every subsequent remote operation on the file: retrieval (FtpOperations.retrieveFile / SftpOperations, reached from GenericFileConsumer where the retrieve name is taken verbatim from GenericFile.getAbsoluteFilePath), deletion when delete=true (GenericFileDeleteProcessStrategy), and renaming when move, preMove, moveFailed or readLock=rename is configured (GenericFileProcessStrategySupport and GenericFileRenameExclusiveReadLockStrategy). Neither isValidFile nor isMatched performed any containment check. A listing entry that is not a single path segment therefore resolved to a path outside the configured polling directory, causing Camel to read, delete or rename files outside it using the endpoint's own credentials. A listing name is not route-controlled data. It is supplied by the remote server, and the FTP control channel carries no integrity protection at all, so an on-path attacker can rewrite a LIST response without holding any credentials; a compromised, malicious or multi-tenant server, or a server backed by a virtual filesystem, can emit such a name directly. Retrieval is reachable in a default consumer configuration, since the remote consumers download every listed file; deletion and renaming additionally require one of the disposition options above, all of which are common. Escape from the directory Camel was configured to poll is unconditional, while escape from the server's own account boundary additionally depends on whether that server confines the account. The jailStartingDirectory option, which is documented as restricting Camel to the starting directory and is enabled by default, governed producer writes and, since the localWorkDirectory containment work, consumer downloads to the local work directory - but it did not constrain this remote operand, so its name and description claimed a boundary that was not enforced here. The same entry point had already been recognised on the local side: the localWorkDirectory download path was constrained so that a remote file name containing parent-directory segments could not resolve outside the local work directory. The remote operand was the remaining half of that surface. This artifact provides the azure-files scheme. Its consumer derives from the same RemoteFileConsumer base class and composed the remote path through a plain concatenation helper, so it inherited the same unconstrained resolution. Reaching it requires a listing name that is not a single path segment, which the Azure Files REST service does not normally return; the exposure was corrected on the same basis as the other remote-file consumers rather than from a demonstrated proof of concept against this scheme. Upgrade to Apache Camel 4.23.0, which fixes the issue. Users on the 4.22.x releases stream should upgrade to 4.22.1. Users on the 4.18.x LTS releases stream should upgrade to 4.18.5. The 4.14.x stream reached end of life and does not receive this fix; users on it should move to a supported releases stream.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-19
Last Modified
2026-10-19
Generated
2026-10-19
AI Q&A
2026-10-19
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
Apache Software Foundation Apache Camel 4.0.0
Apache Software Foundation Apache Camel 4.19.0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-22 The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-79986 is a Path Traversal vulnerability in Apache Camel's remote file consumers, including Azure Files. It occurs when the system constructs absolute remote paths by combining a configured directory with filenames from server listings without proper validation. This allows malicious actors to manipulate file paths to access, delete, or rename files outside the intended directory using the endpoint's credentials. The issue affects versions 4.0.0 to 4.18.4 and 4.19.0 to 4.22.0.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires checking Apache Camel versions and configurations. Use commands like 'camel-version' or inspect version files in Camel installations. Monitor logs for unauthorized file operations or path traversal attempts in remote file consumers (FTP, SFTP, Azure Files). Check if 'jailStartingDirectory' is enabled in configurations.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow unauthorized access to sensitive files outside the configured polling directory. Attackers could retrieve, delete, or rename files using the credentials of the affected Apache Camel endpoint. The impact depends on the permissions of the endpoint account and whether the server confines the account. Exploitation does not require credentials if an attacker is on the network path or controls the server.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or modification of sensitive data, violating compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health information privacy). Unauthorized file access may result in data breaches, leading to legal penalties, reputational damage, and loss of trust. Organizations must mitigate this risk to maintain compliance.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Apache Camel to versions 4.18.5, 4.22.1, or 4.23.0 immediately. Temporarily restrict SAS tokens or account keys to polling directories. Disable destructive operations like delete or move if not required. Use filters to accept only simple file names. Ensure 'jailStartingDirectory' is enabled (default true).

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