CVE-2026-42403: Apache Neethi: Circular Policy Reference Infinite Loop
Apache Neethi does not properly detect circular references in policy definitions. When a WS-Policy document contains circular policy references (where Policy A references Policy B which references Policy A), the policy normalization process can enter an infinite loop or cause excessive recursion, leading to a stack overflow or application hang. An attacker can craft malicious policy documents with circular references to cause a Denial of Service condition
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.2.2, which fixes this issue.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
Apache Neethito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.2.2Patch CVE-2026-42403
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-42403?
CVE-2026-42403 is classified as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential to cause infinite loops during policy normalization.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42403?
To fix CVE-2026-42403, upgrade Apache Neethi to version 3.2.2 or later, which addresses the issue of circular policy references.
What are the implications of CVE-2026-42403?
The implications of CVE-2026-42403 include potential denial of service due to applications hanging or crashing while processing WS-Policy documents with circular references.
Which versions of Apache Neethi are affected by CVE-2026-42403?
Apache Neethi versions prior to 3.2.2 are affected by CVE-2026-42403 and should be updated to mitigate the vulnerability.
Is CVE-2026-42403 exploitable in production environments?
Yes, CVE-2026-42403 is exploitable in production environments where Apache Neethi processes WS-Policy documents with circular references.